Prognosis Definition

Prognosis: The overall expected outcome of the cancer case under consideration. The prognosis can include the median survival time, a description of how life functions will be affected, and whether the disease will cause a lingering decline, a sudden crisis, or neither of these. A prognosis is usually classified somewhere along the continuum of “excellent” to “poor.” It is useful to note that “prognosis” literally means “prediction.” While it is very helpful to know your dog’s prognosis, it is neither a promise nor a sentence; it is an educated guess. The more information your vet or oncologist has, the more accurate the prognosis tends to be.