I stand corrected it was actually 43.2% (for stage III that is). Stage IV it drops to 29.6. These are the published 5 year survival rates with a 95% accuracy They couldn't decide whether it was a stage III or IV, giving me a III/IV classification. The data came from the 2002 American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) cancer staging manual. Here is a link to a comparison between the 5th and 6th edition which explains a lot about staging for those interested (at least there is a decent explanation of the TMN coding system). The cancer staging manual itself is for sale and not available on line. http://www.cancerstaging.org/products.html

We DID talk about me attending his retirement party! My RO thinks my 5 year odds are more like 80%. The statistics are a rough number and don't take into account many other variables. For instance the recurrence rate is very high for people who continue to use tobacco products (sorry Eddie) - I don't -nor do I drink or use drugs and I am white (although being male works against me). There are many other variables. My specific tumor was a polypoid type which is easier to treat, it was also well differentiated and there were no signs of metastesis or any regional or distant involvement. I mention this because I know many like to run with the statistics and it's actually very complicated. The odds of survival are still far better than winning the Lotto or even Russion roulette. I leave the statistics up to God and live one day at a time.

Sorry to hijack your thread Erik...