Factors Affecting Your Prognosis

Staging gives your doctor an idea of how extensive your cancer is and what treatments are most likely to benefit you.

However, staging alone does not predict your survival outlook. Other important factors affect your prognosis. These include:

• Types of symptoms present
• Your overall health

Healthy eating and physical activity can contribute to your overall well-being. So, too, can learning about your disease. This includes allowing yourself to experience a range of emotions. Whether you are feeling frightened, sad, angry or maybe even guilty, these emotions are normal. Eventually you want to feel you have some control over your disease. To do so means being informed about your options. In this way, you (along with your doctor) can choose the treatment that is right for you.