The five-year survival refers to the end of the period after primary treatment is completed. Is that, however, just enough to call yourself ‘cured’? Each person’s cancer experience is different, but in general individuals are often unaware and unprepared for this and left feeling uncertain as to how to recover and reintegrate back into the community. People, their communities and workplaces need to be better prepared for this transition.
A 2015 study (Johnson et al, Which Metrics are appropriate to describe the value of new cancer therapies) suggest that new therapies, which modulate immune responses to cancers, may have potential for long-term survival in a proportion of cases and should be continued after the 5 years treatment. Research findings have demonstrated that former cancer patients who made changes in lifestyle and diet fared better than those who did not. Furthermore, the on-going use of specific botanicals and nutrients additionally contributed to their overall health , without cancer re-occurrence.