Re: Australian Study Shows Chemotherapy Adds 2% to Survival Statistics

Oncs generally use relative stats. If you chose to buy 1% milk instead of 2%, you could say that you were reducing your fat from milk by 50% (relative) or by 1% absolute.

Now use this figure with cancer. If cancer A has 2% survival (2 out of 100), and chemo raises it to 3% (3 out of 100), few would consider the odds worth the horrible cost, ot to mention the high possability of premature death. The onc is not lying when he says that the chemo for cancer A improves survival by 50%, however, he is puting a very positive spin on rather bleak news.

Now of course, if the no-chemo survival was 40%, then a 50% increase is significant even though it is relative, since an extra 20 people of 100 will survive, but you will find few chemos with such results.

Also, "survival" generally refers to 5 years. Many "survivors" of chemo actually die from the cancer.