Survival statistics for chronic myeloid leukemia
Survival statistics for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) are very general estimates and must be interpreted very carefully. Because these statistics are based on the experience of groups of people, they cannot be used to predict a particular person’s chances of survival.
There are many different ways to measure and report cancer survival statistics. Your doctor can explain the statistics for CML and what they mean to you.
Since the development of
Net survival
Net survival represents the probability (chance) of surviving cancer in the absence of other causes of death. It is used to give an estimate of the percentage of people who will survive cancer.
In Canada, the 5-year net survival for CML is between 57% and 63%. This means that between 57% and 63% of people diagnosed with CML will survive for at least 5 years.
The current net survival statistics may not reflect the improvement in survival for CML since TKIs became the standard treatment. Some studies show that 5-year net survival may be closer to 90% when people take TKIs correctly.
Relative survival
Relative survival compares the survival for a group of people with cancer to the survival expected for a group of people in the general population who share the same characteristics as the people with cancer (such as age, sex and where they live).
The 5-year relative survival for CML is 90%. This means that, on average, people with CML are 90% as likely to survive 5 or more years after diagnosis as people of the same age and sex in the general population.
Questions about survival
If you have CML, talk to your healthcare team about your prognosis. Prognosis depends on many factors, including:
- the phase of CML
- response to treatment
- your overall health
- taking medicines correctly