Rachel Emery

Publications of Rachel Emery

• Conditional Survival in Rectal Cancer: A SEER Database Analysis.

  Authors: Samuel J Wang, Clifton D Fuller, Rachel Emery, Charles R Thomas

  Gastrointestinal cancer research : GCR. 06/2007; 1(3):84-9.

  PURPOSE: To provide an analysis of conditional survival (CS) in rectal cancer patients. Cancer survival is typically reported in terms of survival from time of diagnosis. CS can provide improvedPURPOSE: To provide an analysis of conditional survival (CS) in rectal cancer patients. Cancer survival is typically reported in terms of survival from time of diagnosis. CS can provide improved prognostic information for patients surviving a given period after diagnosis. METHODS: Data from 36,321 rectal cancer patients diagnosed between 1988 and 1998 were analyzed using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER 17) database. Observed 5-year CS rates according to disease stage, age, sex, and race were calculated using the life-table method. RESULTS: As survival from diagnosis increased from 0 to 5 years, the 5-year observed CS changed from 73% to 74% for stage I disease, 56% to 66% for stage II, 47% to 65% for stage III, and 6% to 48% for stage IV. Patients aged 65 years and over at diagnosis had lower CS than those under 65 years, both at diagnosis (45% vs. 61%) and at 5 years from diagnosis (59% vs. 81%). Men had slightly lower 5-year survival than women, both at diagnosis (50% vs. 53%) and after 5 years (68% vs. 71%). Black patients had slightly lower survival than white patients for nearly all time points and stages. CONCLUSION: For rectal cancer patients who survive a given period of time after diagnosis, the largest increases in CS are in patients with advanced stage disease and for those under 65 years of age. CS can provide more accurate prognostic information for rectal cancer patients who survive a given period after diagnosis.

• Conditional survival in gastric cancer: a SEER database analysis.

  Authors: Samuel J Wang, Rachel Emery, Clifton D Fuller, Jong Sung Kim, Dean F Sittig, Charles R Thomas

  Gastric cancer : official journal of the International Gastric Cancer Association and the Japanese Gastric Cancer Association. 02/2007; 10(3):153-8.

  BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer survival is typically reported in terms of survival from the time of diagnosis. Conditional survival is a more relevant measure of prognosis for patients who have alreadyBACKGROUND: Gastric cancer survival is typically reported in terms of survival from the time of diagnosis. Conditional survival is a more relevant measure of prognosis for patients who have already survived 1 or more years since diagnosis. METHODS: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER 17) database from the National Cancer Institute, we analyzed data from 20 018 gastric cancer patients diagnosed between 1988 and 1998. Using the life-table method, we computed 5-year relative conditional survival, grouped by summary stage, age, sex, and ethnicity, for patients who had already survived up to 5 years from diagnosis. RESULTS: Relative conditional survival improves over time for all groups of gastric cancer patients who survive a period of time after diagnosis. The largest gains in conditional survival were seen in patients with advanced stage disease. In general, females showed better survival than males. When grouped by ethnicity, Asians continued to have improved survival compared to other ethnic categories, even at 5 years out from diagnosis. CONCLUSION: For gastric cancer patients who survive a period of time after diagnosis, the largest increases in conditional survival are seen for patients with advanced stage disease and for those less than 65 years old. Conditional survival can provide more relevant prognostic information than survival from the time of diagnosis for gastric cancer patients who survive a period of time after diagnosis.