– Why is cancer treatment measured in 3 and 5 year survival rates?

Question

Is cancer so “uncurable” we only hope to extend the patient’s life and not cure it completely?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Simplification: cancer treatments rarely kill / remove all the cancerous cell. Some are dislocated or are already roaming your system. If those cells don’t “stick” in 3 to 5 years, you are considered cured of that particular cancer.