Relative survival rate (RSR) is a number that estimates the chance that a patient will survive a set number of years (2, 5, 10 years) after a cancer diagnosis. RSR is calculated to exclude the chance of death from diseases other than the cancer.
Using a relative survival rate is a way of comparing the survival of two groups: people who have a specific disease (such as breast cancer) with those who don't have that disease. The percentage of survivors - the relative rate - is usually compared at set times, such as 2 years and 5 years after diagnosis or treatment for the disease. The relative survival rate shows whether or not that specific disease shortens a person's life.
For breast cancer, relative survival rate refers to the percentage of breast cancer patients who are still alive 5 years after diagnosis, regardless of whether they are disease free, in remission, or still in treatment. This is relative to the percentage of people who were never diagnosed with breast cancer and may have died of other causes.
In 2008, the American Cancer Society stated that the 5-year relative survival rate for all stages of breast cancer was 89%.
