In the past, many patients with these types of cancer were not cured. This shows that it's not a good idea to rely on history to predict how a person diagnosed with cancer today will respond to treatment. Another misconception is that all cancers are the same. Remember that curing a patient depends upon the ability of the treatment to remove all the cancer cells in the person's body. If cure is not possible, the goal will be to control the illness, meaning to stop or slow down its spread.
Cancer statistics apply to large groups of people and they have little meaning for one individual.
Because it may be difficult for your doctor to tell you for certain that all the cancer cells have been removed through treatment, he or she will ask that you make follow-up visits for a period of time. Even if your doctor tells you that your cancer has spread, treatment may still arrest it. Always remember that treatment is available to all patients regardless of the type of cancer or its severity. In fact, they are living with a treatable chronic illness. The focus must always be on how a person will live with cancer.