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What the
Future Holds
Researchers continue to
look for better ways to detect and treat breast cancer, and
the chances of survival keep improving. Still, it is natural
for patients to be concerned about their future.
Sometimes patients use
statistics they have heard to try to figure out their own
chances of being cured. It is important to remember, however,
that statistics reflect the experience of large groups of
patients, not individuals. Statistics can't be used to predict
what will happen to a particular woman because no two patients
are alike. The doctor who takes care of the patient and knows
her medical history is in the best position to talk with her
about the probable outcome or course of her disease (prognosis).
Women should feel free to ask the doctor about their
prognosis, but they should keep in mind that not even the
doctor knows exactly what will happen. Doctors often talk
about surviving cancer, or they may use the term remission.
Doctors use these terms because, although many breast cancer
patients are cured, the disease can recur, even many years
later.
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