ernrol Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 I keep hearing about statistics and I finally wrote what they mean to me. I gave a copy to my oncologist and I think he will use it for some of his patients that are stuck on statistics what he tells people are you are you, the statistic do not apply. He will tell them there chances are a lot better with treatment. Below is the statement. Copy it; save it most of all remember it. They do not mean diddly squat. You can stick your own filters in place of mine and come to the same conclusion and that is statistics do not apply to you. I had a lot more I could have added, but this is sufficient. Ernie Statistics what it means to me Definitions: 1. (used with a singular verb ) the science that deals with the collection, classification, analysis, and interpretation of numerical facts or data, and that, by use of mathematical theories of probability, imposes order and regularity on aggregates of more or less disparate elements 2. The subject of statistics can be divided into descriptive statistics - describing data, and analytical statistics - drawing conclusions from data. When it comes to cancer the data that you read about is based on fact of what has actually happened over a period of time. It is history. To take that data and project it into the future is drawing conclusions. Let us take a hypothetical example and some hypothetical conditions. A particular cancer has a statistic of a five year survival of 5%. This is based on fact of what has happened in the past. That means that at the end of five years out of 100 people there was a survival of five. One in 20. Does that mean my chance of survival is one out of 20? The answer is no. There is a statement made in a lot of stock offerings that states: Past performance does not guarantee future profits. Past performance of cancer patients will not necessarily be the same for patients today. We can not change the statistical past, but I believe we can change the chance of survival. Three of the things that I believe effect your chance of survival is: 1. The type of condition of your cancer, type of cell etc. and there reaction to treatment. We can not change this fact. 2. The treatment that the medical profession administers. This is definitely a variable. 2. What we do and believe as a patient. This we have complete control of. Now let us take those 100 patients and narrow down the field. 1. How many patients continue to smoke? Say 2 that leaves 98. 2, How many patients do not believe the prognosis, and believe that they can beat the cancer. Let us say 48 do not that takes away another 50 and leaves 48. 3. How many are in good health physically? Maybe half of the 48, that leaves 24. 4. How many watch their diet and eat healthy. Say 14. 5. How many of the 14 exercise at least 6 times a week with the idea of improving their body and health? Maybe 4. So now we are down to 4 people in a field that I would be in. The question is what the statistics are for these four people. The answer is they do not know because they have not done this study to my knowledge. The survival could be anything from 0% to 100%. If I add to this how many took Tarceva along with Carboplatin and Taxol. You come up with zero for the number of people in a category like me. So there are no statistics that apply to a patient like me. A big plus How many believe that God has the power to heal them? I do not have the answer to this but for me it means a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharonjo Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Very cool ernie! I like your reasoning. I don't pay attention to the stats either. I told my docs that I did not want to hear any numbers, just what to expect from my treatments. So far I have had much success. I plan on keeping it that way! Thanks for your post. Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonni Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Great post Ernie..thanks for sending...we all know 'stat's are BS...they should not even post's stat's...scares the be geebies out of some people PamS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanie55 Posted September 21, 2006 Share Posted September 21, 2006 Thanks for the post. Very well said. Joan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastCoastLadi Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 Ernie, I think you will enjoy this article.... Grace http://cancerguide.org/median_not_msg.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyW Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 I like that Very Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connie B Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 Dear Ernie, Your right on the money! What I have learned over the years traveling this journey is, Statistics are anywhere from 5 to 7 years BEHIND when they are finally Published to the Public! Thanks so very much for sharing this. All of the New folks that come here tend to mention what the Stat's state. In my In Person Lung Cancer Support Group, we tell all the New folks to NOT nor NEVER read the Statistics and then we explain to them why! My Doc's don't talk Stats, because they say everyone is different. How true! I'm no doctor, but I have been in the Lung Cancer world for a very long time and I can agree with the fact that EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT! God Bless and Thank you again for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaze100 Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 Right On Ernie. God does have the power to heal. He shelters us like little chicks under his feathers. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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