Median Survival Time Definition

Median Survival Time: The time, from either diagnosis or treatment, at which no more than half of the patients with a given cancer are expected to be alive. For example, if a group of dogs all have lymphoma and all start the conventional chemotherapy protocol that Dr. Ettinger recommends, she would expect half of those dogs to be alive after fourteen months, and half of them to have passed. It is useful for the guardian to know this number, but it is also important to remember that it is only a guide. It does not apply directly to any particular dog. Some vets use the term “median overall survival” or the term “median survival.”