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What You
Need to Know about
Hodgkin's Lymphoma |
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Recovery and Outlook
It is natural for anyone facing
cancer to be concerned about what the future holds. Understanding the nature
of cancer and what to expect can help patients and their loved ones plan
treatment, anticipate lifestyle changes, and make quality of life and
financial decisions.
Cancer patients frequently ask their
doctors or search on their own for statistics to answer the question,
"What is my prognosis?" Prognosis is a
prediction of the future course and outcome of a disease and an indication
of the likelihood of recovery from that disease. However, it is only an
estimate. When doctors discuss a patient's prognosis, they are attempting to
project what is likely to occur for that individual patient. The prognosis
for Hodgkin's disease can be affected by many factors, particularly the
stage of the cancer, the patient's response to treatment, and the patient's
age and general health.
Sometimes people use statistics to
try to figure out their chances of being cured. However, statistics reflect
the experience of a large group of patients. They cannot be used to predict
what will happen to a particular patient because no two patients are alike;
treatment and responses vary greatly. The doctor who is most familiar with a
patient's situation is in the best position to help interpret statistics and
discuss the patient's prognosis.
When doctors talk about surviving
cancer, they may use the term remission rather than
cure. Although many people with Hodgkin's disease are successfully treated,
doctors use the term remission because cancer can return. It is important to
discuss the possibility of recurrence with the
doctor.
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