or "a year" or "two years." Specific predictions like these are simply not valid. Such figures may be published averages for people with a specific type of cancer, but they are only averages. Obviously, some people did not live as long as the estimate, some lived longer.
No estimate of individual survival can be made until therapy has begun and the response to it has been established. Until then, predictions are, at best, guesswork and uncertainty that can only stifle hope and the will to live.
Knowledge and understanding are the keys to freeing yourself from unreasonable fear. If you want to know the truth about cancer, talk to oncologists and other members of your health care team. Don't listen to what friends, relatives or acquaintances tell you or take reports in the press as gospel. Fears can be resolved if you understand clearly the problems you face, if you understand the treatments and supportive measures that might be taken and if you have a reasonable and realistic estimate of the discomfort or inconvenience you can expect.
Dealing with the Fears of Others Even if your own fear is under control, well-meaning friends or family members can communicate their fears to you. Unless you are prepared for this, you might find your reserves of emotional energy drained and a depression coming on.
The only way out of this situation is to either hide the fact of your cancer or make sure your family and friends understand your disease and treatment. You may even want to include some of them in your consultations with your doctor so they can become part of your "informed" support team. This may also help
