When is my "1 Year Survivor' date? When do we count back from?

lindaprocopio

When people say they are a '1 year survivor', or '5 years cancer-free', what date do you use to figure out your 'anniversary date'? The day they first used the word 'cancer'? The day of your diagnosis? The day you started treatment? The day you finished treatment?

I don't want to miss an anniversary celebration! HA! Anyone know for sure from what date they start counting towards your 5 year survival day?

kkstef

My opinion
Linda,

They typically say that you are a survivor the day you get your diagnosis...so I am counting that as my anniversary date! We have survived since that date... Now, I am all for celebrations (my family knows my birthday celebration has always been a whole week!), so I guess one could celebrate the anniversary of the diagnosis, and the anniversary of the end of treatment.

Of course, we celebrate every day that we are NED, but save the BIG events for the anniversary!

Karen

california_artist

Anniversary date(s)
So how hard has this been?
what if we congratulate ourselves for being alive and kicking one year after:

Diagnosis
surgery
first appt w doctor after surgery, cause that can be one of the toughest days
date of first chemo
date of last chemo
....

I think you can see where I'm going with this. May as well congratulate the heck out of ourselves any time we can

Personally, I tend to count from diagnosis. that day that doctor calls and instead of saying everything is fine, says you have cancer. Poop

Hey, Linda, how's it going?? Mary Ann says she would like to be a Fringette. silly girl.

Love,

Claudia

For me personally, because I didn't get any treatment and UPSC tends towards recurrence most often during the first two years, the two year anniversary will be the big one for me. I know that we have to be vigilant for four years before we can really take a deep sigh of relief. But two years will cheer me up immensely.

That date is February 27, 2010,six more months. Hummmmmh
Oddly 27 used to be my favorite number. Not so much any more though.

barb55

california_artist said:

Anniversary date(s)
So how hard has this been?
what if we congratulate ourselves for being alive and kicking one year after:

Diagnosis
surgery
first appt w doctor after surgery, cause that can be one of the toughest days
date of first chemo
date of last chemo
....

I think you can see where I'm going with this. May as well congratulate the heck out of ourselves any time we can

Personally, I tend to count from diagnosis. that day that doctor calls and instead of saying everything is fine, says you have cancer. Poop

Hey, Linda, how's it going?? Mary Ann says she would like to be a Fringette. silly girl.

Love,

Claudia

For me personally, because I didn't get any treatment and UPSC tends towards recurrence most often during the first two years, the two year anniversary will be the big one for me. I know that we have to be vigilant for four years before we can really take a deep sigh of relief. But two years will cheer me up immensely.

That date is February 27, 2010,six more months. Hummmmmh
Oddly 27 used to be my favorite number. Not so much any more though.

celebrate
I celebrate everyday- honestly! Interesting question though because my oncologist said to start counting when treatment ends. That makes me one year and three months. It's a lot more when I start from the diagnosis.

deanna14

barb55 said:

celebrate
I celebrate everyday- honestly! Interesting question though because my oncologist said to start counting when treatment ends. That makes me one year and three months. It's a lot more when I start from the diagnosis.

Good question!
I would like to think that it is from the day of diagnosis. That makes me over 1 year as my original cancer diagnosis was on July 28, my mother's birthday. If you count from the last day of treatment, I would just be slightly over 1 month.
My opinion is that you have been fighting the cancer since the day of diagnosis, so you have survived it since then?!
Let us know if you find out for sure. I like barb55's attitude, let's celebrate EVERY day!Thanking God for each day...

Katrinka123

Thanks for asking this - I
Thanks for asking this - I have wondered as well. If I get to the five year mark will my record be expunged? :::tongue in cheek::::::

-Kat

pjba11

Katrinka123 said:

Thanks for asking this - I
Thanks for asking this - I have wondered as well. If I get to the five year mark will my record be expunged? :::tongue in cheek::::::

-Kat

I just asked my oncologist that exact question....
'Great' minds think alike ..... Right Linda? Anyway, I just asked my Dr that exact question when I was there on Aug 5. I was dx on my 54th birthday in 2006. So.... I wanted to know if that was 'the date'. She seemed to think that most of the profession used the date of diagnosis as the starting date. For what ever that is worth... that was her opinion.

Unknown

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culka

pjba11 said:

I just asked my oncologist that exact question....
'Great' minds think alike ..... Right Linda? Anyway, I just asked my Dr that exact question when I was there on Aug 5. I was dx on my 54th birthday in 2006. So.... I wanted to know if that was 'the date'. She seemed to think that most of the profession used the date of diagnosis as the starting date. For what ever that is worth... that was her opinion.

can i have second birthday?
I was dx in april 2008, but my patology report after hysterectomy is dated june 6 which is my birthday and I forgot to mentioned that my uterus was already clear of cancer with small peace in cervix like 1x1 cm.
That day I was born again.

Unknown

culka said:

can i have second birthday?
I was dx in april 2008, but my patology report after hysterectomy is dated june 6 which is my birthday and I forgot to mentioned that my uterus was already clear of cancer with small peace in cervix like 1x1 cm.
That day I was born again.

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

california_artist

Hey, I know the answer to that one
The recurrence rate drops dramatically after a year and then there's an appreciable drop within the first 18 months, then it goes down less dramatically during the next six month period, bringing you to the two year mark. After that it just appears randomly until as long as five years out. My opinion is that for those of us who continue to use dietary means to slow the cancer the recurrence rate would be more toward the end of the spectrum, so I for one intend to be relatively diligent for five full years.

Love ya,

Claudia

I'll see if I can find that graph.

I did find the graph, but it won't copy here. It was in relation to the incidence of recurrence with minimal and macro evidence of disease left after surgery in Stage lllc and lV upsc cases.

Unknown

california_artist said:

Hey, I know the answer to that one
The recurrence rate drops dramatically after a year and then there's an appreciable drop within the first 18 months, then it goes down less dramatically during the next six month period, bringing you to the two year mark. After that it just appears randomly until as long as five years out. My opinion is that for those of us who continue to use dietary means to slow the cancer the recurrence rate would be more toward the end of the spectrum, so I for one intend to be relatively diligent for five full years.

Love ya,

Claudia

I'll see if I can find that graph.

I did find the graph, but it won't copy here. It was in relation to the incidence of recurrence with minimal and macro evidence of disease left after surgery in Stage lllc and lV upsc cases.

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

california_artist

unknown said:

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

Hey
This particular graph was using the date of surgery as a reference. They were trying to tell how effective more or less cytoreductive surgery worked. The conclusion was that the least amount of residual disease resulted in the longest time to recurrence.

On another note, do you still live in NYC. I used to live at 150 Norfok Street, between Houston and Delancy, back when that area was crazy with artists and some pretty odd people. Lived a few flights up in a walkup only building. Had a very large baby carriage. Yikes? Lived across the hall from some fellows who were associated with the symboise liberation army. . Can't even remember how to spell that or what they stood for. Good thing, because I bet big brother would shut me down. I was just a young mother with a child trying to make it in the city. Was there for the black out. They had candles. We played cards til the lights came on and my husband came home. He was on the subway when the lights went out. I remember there were lots of babies 9 months later. At least all I was doing was playing cards.

As always, love, hope, health, success ( success in our battle) and joy for us all,

Claudia

Unknown

california_artist said:

Hey
This particular graph was using the date of surgery as a reference. They were trying to tell how effective more or less cytoreductive surgery worked. The conclusion was that the least amount of residual disease resulted in the longest time to recurrence.

On another note, do you still live in NYC. I used to live at 150 Norfok Street, between Houston and Delancy, back when that area was crazy with artists and some pretty odd people. Lived a few flights up in a walkup only building. Had a very large baby carriage. Yikes? Lived across the hall from some fellows who were associated with the symboise liberation army. . Can't even remember how to spell that or what they stood for. Good thing, because I bet big brother would shut me down. I was just a young mother with a child trying to make it in the city. Was there for the black out. They had candles. We played cards til the lights came on and my husband came home. He was on the subway when the lights went out. I remember there were lots of babies 9 months later. At least all I was doing was playing cards.

As always, love, hope, health, success ( success in our battle) and joy for us all,

Claudia

This comment has been removed by the Moderator