Great question — and no, you don't add them together! Those numbers represent the median survival time for people diagnosed *at each stage*, not steps you pass through one after another.
Think of it this way: if someone is diagnosed at stage 2, the 44-month figure applies to *them specifically*, starting from their Show Full Answer
Great question — and no, you don't add them together! Those numbers represent the median survival time for people diagnosed *at each stage*, not steps you pass through one after another.
Think of it this way: if someone is diagnosed at stage 2, the 44-month figure applies to *them specifically*, starting from their diagnosis. Here's what those numbers actually mean:
- Stage 1: Median survival of about 62 months from diagnosis
- Stage 2: Median survival of about 44 months from diagnosis
- Stage 3: Median survival of about 29 months from diagnosis
"Median" means half the people in studies lived *longer* than these timeframes — so they're not a ceiling, just a midpoint. It's also worth knowing that these statistics are based on older data. Newer treatments approved since 2016 are helping people live significantly longer, so today's outlook is likely better than these figures suggest. Always worth discussing your personal situation with your care team, as individual factors matter enormously.
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