Some thoughts on cancer survival statistics

CW: death stats
FROCKTOBER
Today’s Frocktober prompt is sporty – I knew this was a good reason to put my skates on! It’s been ages since I’ve skated, and I want to do it again real soon. Baby strides
I’m wobbly on my skates, and my emotions were wobbly, after accidentally seeing death and survival rates for Ovarian Cancer caused me to wobble.
Yesterday I was researching the Frocktober site for a caption for today, and I saw three stats that made me cry.
“Currently, one Australian dies every eight hours from ovarian cancer
The current five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 48%”
I don’t want to not survive past five years.
One of the self care measures that I’ve practiced since I was told I might have Ovarian Cancer, and then since my diagnosis, is avoiding Googling. Between the initial tests and surgery, I didn’t research past the symptoms. Even confirming that I had all the symptoms listed was scary.
I know that other people prefer to research – they like to be informed and prepared.
I didn’t manage to fit this bit in the caption due to character limit:
I remember getting a really bad skin infection, related to Ichthyosis, and the dermatologist telling me that if it wasn’t treated in time, it could get into my blood stream and kill me. I was alarmed then, but I also knew how to manage my skin, including how to curb an infection before it gets so severe. I’ve had Ichthyosis all my life. So I wasn’t in fear past that initial infection.
But Cancer is the scary illness, the one that takes lives, the one that impacts 1 in 2 Australians (I saw that stat on a Cancer Council billboard recently). And the type of cancer I have has concerning survival rates. And there’s nothing I could have done to prevent it.
I’ve asked the surgeons and the oncologists if I am going to die a few times. They say they are “treating me with curable intent”. This is hopeful, and I’ll continue to follow their lead, as hard as it is.
Ovarian Cancer has been termed “the silent killer” in the media, fundraising & awareness campaigns, and this phrase is frightening.
The fear increases exponentially when you’re told you have The Silent Killer. I wonder how long the cancer was lurking silently. If they caught it all, if the treatment will work, and if the cancer will kill me.
I don’t know any of the answers. The doctors don’t know either.
All they can do is continue to treat me with medicines that can make me sicker than the cancer makes me feel, and I hope that I defy that sombre statistic.
I hope everyone with serious illness thrives past expectation.
I am participating in Frocktober to raise money and awareness for Ovarian Cancer research. I was diagnosed with Ovarian and Endometrial Cancers in June. A link to my donation page is here.
Our team page is here.
Thank you for your donations, shares and comments so far – they are much appreciated.
Image: Carly, a woman with red skin, and is currently bald, wearing a green dress with birds on it, and green and pink skates, and pink wrist and knee pads. She’s standing near a wall, wobbly. She’s smiling.
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