How is a 15% 5-year survival rate for a specific cancer statistically interpreted?
Answer
It means that for every seven people diagnosed, one is still alive five years later.
Survival statistics, such as the 5-year survival rate, reflect the percentage of individuals who remain alive five years after their initial diagnosis. If the rate is 15%, this mathematically translates to 15 out of every 100 people. Expressed as a simplified ratio, 15% is equivalent to one patient surviving for every 6.67 patients diagnosed. Since the text specifically relates 15% survival to a tangible example, it implies that out of every seven individuals diagnosed, one will still be alive five years following diagnosis, highlighting the severity of the biological challenge for that specific cancer type.
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