Along with a terminal cancer diagnosis, a patient may receive a projected life expectancy. This is ultimately just an estimate that doctors base on many factors. It is not uncommon for a patient’s survival to differ from this estimate. In some terminal cancer cases, patients have significantly outlived their terminal cancer prognosis.
These survivors provide hope and insight into which factors may influence survival. Key elements might include stress reduction, exercise and nutrition. Studying terminal cancer survivors may provide insights that help improve many patients’ lives.
Some patients have also survived cancer without curative treatment. Although it is quite rare, this phenomenon is known as spontaneous remission.
Learn More About Spontaneous Cancer Remission HereWhat Is Terminal Cancer?
Terminal cancer is a specific diagnostic classification. It may be given to any type of cancer that meets specific criteria. In general, terminal cancer means:
- The cancer isn’t considered curable.
- Treatment isn’t expected to significantly extend survival.
- Treatment may focus on patient comfort rather than prolonging life.
Some cancer diagnoses may be incurable but not classified as terminal. In these cases, doctors’ goals may include extending survival or slowing cancer progression.
A common misconception is that a certain stage of cancer means it is terminal. But many other factors influence a terminal cancer diagnosis. For instance, stage IV patients may undergo life-extending treatment. This diagnosis may be classified as an advanced cancer, not a terminal cancer.
Terminal Cancer Survivors
Patients diagnosed with many types of terminal and advanced cancers have outlived their initial life expectancies. Heather Von St. James is one example. Without treatment, she was given 15 months to live. As of 2024, she is a 19-year mesothelioma survivor. Doctors treated her pleural mesothelioma with surgery, chemo and radiation.
Other patients have similar stories of survival after facing a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Stamatis Moraitis was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in the 1970s. He was given 9 months to live, so he returned to his homeland of Ikaria, Greece. Moraitis adopted a slower lifestyle that emphasized whole foods and social connections. He outlived his diagnosis by 3 decades, dying when he was more than 100 years old.
What lessons about cancer mortality might these survivor stories hold?
What Factors May Help Someone Survive Terminal Cancer?
Ikaria is an island in Greece known for its residents’ longevity. It is classified as 1 of 5 “Blue Zones,” which boast the highest percentage of people living to age 100. Evidence shows that Ikaria, among the other Blue Zones, experiences a lower rate of cancer and other diseases.
These Blue Zones share several key characteristics, like plant-based diets and regular physical activity. Many of these factors are aligned with modern, evidence-based cancer guidelines.
- Diet & nutrition: No diet can prevent cancer, but research shows the Mediterranean diet may help cut the risk of some cancers in half. Like the Blue Zones, this diet focuses on eating whole, plant-based foods — such as fruits, veggies, nuts and beans.
- Physical activity: Some research shows exercise during and after cancer treatment may help extend life expectancy. In the Blue Zones, regular physical activity is part of daily life. This includes less strenuous activities like gardening and walking.
- Social connections: The Blue Zones encourage strong social connections between family and friends. This may promote general well-being and reduce cancer risk. During cancer treatment, social connections may provide crucial support.
- Stress reduction: Evidence shows stress may promote the growth and spread of some cancers. The slow and peaceful Blue Zones lifestyle promotes various stress-reduction habits. These may contribute to a lower cancer mortality risk.
What role could these factors play in surviving terminal cancer? More research is needed to answer this question. Ultimately, undergoing treatment offers the best chance of fighting cancer. But cases like that of Stamatis Moraitis highlight the potential importance of a slower and more healthful lifestyle.
Sources
American Institute for Cancer Research. Can the Blue Zone Diet Help You Live Longer?
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Cleveland Clinic. Anti-Cancer Diet: These Foods May Reduce Your Risk for Cancer.
Curie Oncology. Unlocking the Secrets of Blue Zones: How Lifestyle Modifications Can Help Cancer Patients Improve Outcomes.
Medical News Today. A guide to terminal cancer and where to find support.
Murphy NK. Ten months: one patient’s story of stage iv cancer. Oncologist. 2017 Oct;22(10):1278–80.
National Academic Press (US). Lessons from the Blue Zones®.
Newman TM, Vitolins MZ, Cook KL. From the table to the tumor: the role of mediterranean and western dietary patterns in shifting microbial-mediated signaling to impact breast cancer risk. Nutrients. 2019 Oct 24;11(11):2565.
The New York Times Magazine. The Island Where People Forget to Die.
Schwartz AL, de Heer HD, Bea JW. Initiating exercise interventions to promote wellness in cancer patients and survivors. Oncology (Williston Park). 2017 Oct 15;31(10):711–7.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. How stress affects cancer risk.
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Tara Strand specializes in writing content about mesothelioma and asbestos. She focuses on topics like mesothelioma awareness, research, treatment, asbestos trust funds and other advocacy efforts.
