Patients' Perspectives
Patients' Perspectives
In the first table below, the doubling time of cancer cells is set to a relatively "short" period of time, 60 days, and the number of cells present after 3600 days (nearly 10 years) is shown.
In the second table below, the doubling time of cancer cells is set to a relatively "average" period of time, 100 days, and the number of cells present after 6000 days (a little more than 16 years) is shown.
In both cases, the number of generations of doubling is 60. The point being illustrated here is that a tumor called "aggressive" will be detected by either clinical examination or scans sooner than a tumor that is not termed aggressive because the aggressive tumor will grow more quickly than the tumor that is not considered aggressive.
The style of notation in the numbers below is called "exponential notation". To determine the value of these numbers in decimal notation, which is the standard way most non-computer people read things, move the decimal point as many places to the right as the number after the E on the appropriate line. If there are not enough digits, add zeroes to the right hand end of the number to make enough digits.
| Doubling every 60 days
beginning with 1 cell |
Number of cells |
| Days of doubling = 60. | 1th level of doubling = 2 |
| Days of doubling = 120. | 2th level of doubling = 4 |
| Days of doubling = 180. | 3th level of doubling = 8 |
| Days of doubling = 240. | 4th level of doubling = 16 |
| Days of doubling = 300. | 5th level of doubling = 32 |
| Days of doubling = 360. | 6th level of doubling = 64 |
| Days of doubling = 420. | 7th level of doubling = 128 |
| Days of doubling = 480. | 8th level of doubling = 256 |
| Days of doubling = 540. | 9th level of doubling = 512 |
| Days of doubling = 600. | 10th level of doubling = 1024 |
| Days of doubling = 660. | 11th level of doubling = 2048 |
| Days of doubling = 720. | 12th level of doubling = 4096 |
| Days of doubling = 780. | 13th level of doubling = 8192 |
| Days of doubling = 840. | 14th level of doubling = 16384 |
| Days of doubling = 900. | 15th level of doubling = 32768 |
| Days of doubling = 960. | 16th level of doubling = 65536 |
| Days of doubling = 1020. | 17th level of doubling = 131072 |
| Days of doubling = 1080. | 18th level of doubling = 262144 |
| Days of doubling = 1140. | 19th level of doubling = 524288 |
| Days of doubling = 1200. | 20th level of doubling = 1048576 |
| Days of doubling = 1260. | 21th level of doubling = 2097152 |
| Days of doubling = 1320. | 22th level of doubling = 4194304 |
| Days of doubling = 1380. | 23th level of doubling = 8388608 |
| Days of doubling = 1440. | 24th level of doubling = 16777216 |
| Days of doubling = 1500. | 25th level of doubling = 33554432 |
| Days of doubling = 1560. | 26th level of doubling = 67108864 |
| Days of doubling = 1620. | 27th level of doubling = 134217728 |
| Days of doubling = 1680. | 28th level of doubling = 268435456 |
| Days of doubling = 1740. | 29th level of doubling = 536870912 |
| Days of doubling = 1800. | 30th level of doubling = 1.07374182E+9 |
| Days of doubling = 1860. | 31th level of doubling = 2.14748364E+9 |
| Days of doubling = 1920. | 32th level of doubling = 4.29496728E+9 |
| Days of doubling = 1980. | 33th level of doubling = 8.58993456E+9 |
| Days of doubling = 2040. | 34th level of doubling = 1.71798691E+10 |
| Days of doubling = 2100. | 35th level of doubling = 3.43597382E+10 |
| Days of doubling = 2160. | 36th level of doubling = 6.87194764E+10 |
| Days of doubling = 2220. | 37th level of doubling = 1.37438953E+11 |
| Days of doubling = 2280. | 38th level of doubling = 2.74877906E+11 |
| Days of doubling = 2340. | 39th level of doubling = 5.49755812E+11 |
| Days of doubling = 2400. | 40th level of doubling = 1.09951162E+12 |
| Days of doubling = 2460. | 41th level of doubling = 2.19902324E+12 |
| Days of doubling = 2520. | 42th level of doubling = 4.39804648E+12 |
| Days of doubling = 2580. | 43th level of doubling = 8.79609296E+12 |
| Days of doubling = 2640. | 44th level of doubling = 1.75921859E+13 |
| Days of doubling = 2700. | 45th level of doubling = 3.51843718E+13 |
| Days of doubling = 2760. | 46th level of doubling = 7.03687436E+13 |
| Days of doubling = 2820. | 47th level of doubling = 1.40737487E+14 |
| Days of doubling = 2880. | 48th level of doubling = 2.81474974E+14 |
| Days of doubling = 2940. | 49th level of doubling = 5.62949948E+14 |
| Days of doubling = 3000. | 50th level of doubling = 1.12589990E+15 |
| Days of doubling = 3060. | 51th level of doubling = 2.25179980E+15 |
| Days of doubling = 3120. | 52th level of doubling = 4.50359960E+15 |
| Days of doubling = 3180. | 53th level of doubling = 9.00719920E+15 |
| Days of doubling = 3240. | 54th level of doubling = 1.80143984E+16 |
| Days of doubling = 3300. | 55th level of doubling = 3.60287968E+16 |
| Days of doubling = 3360. | 56th level of doubling = 7.20575936E+16 |
| Days of doubling = 3420. | 57th level of doubling = 1.44115187E+17 |
| Days of doubling = 3480. | 58th level of doubling = 2.88230374E+17 |
| Days of doubling = 3540. | 59th level of doubling = 5.76460748E+17 |
| Days of doubling = 3600. | 60th level of doubling = 1.15292150E+18 |
| Doubling every 100 days
beginning with 1 cell. |
Number of cells |
| Days of doubling = 100. | 1st level of doubling = 2 |
| Days of doubling = 200. | 2nd level of doubling = 4 |
| Days of doubling = 300. | 3rd level of doubling = 8 |
| Days of doubling = 400. | 4th level of doubling = 16 |
| Days of doubling = 500. | 5th level of doubling = 32 |
| Days of doubling = 600. | 6th level of doubling = 64 |
| Days of doubling = 700. | 7th level of doubling = 128 |
| Days of doubling = 800. | 8th level of doubling = 256 |
| Days of doubling = 900. | 9th level of doubling = 512 |
| Days of doubling = 1000. | 10th level of doubling = 1024 |
| Days of doubling = 1100. | 11th level of doubling = 2048 |
| Days of doubling = 1200. | 12th level of doubling = 4096 |
| Days of doubling = 1300. | 13th level of doubling = 8192 |
| Days of doubling = 1400. | 14th level of doubling = 16384 |
| Days of doubling = 1500. | 15th level of doubling = 32768 |
| Days of doubling = 1600. | 16th level of doubling = 65536 |
| Days of doubling = 1700. | 17th level of doubling = 131072 |
| Days of doubling = 1800. | 18th level of doubling = 262144 |
| Days of doubling = 1900. | 19th level of doubling = 524288 |
| Days of doubling = 2000. | 20th level of doubling = 1048576 |
| Days of doubling = 2100. | 21th level of doubling = 2097152 |
| Days of doubling = 2200. | 22th level of doubling = 4194304 |
| Days of doubling = 2300. | 23th level of doubling = 8388608 |
| Days of doubling = 2400. | 24th level of doubling = 16777216 |
| Days of doubling = 2500. | 25th level of doubling = 33554432 |
| Days of doubling = 2600. | 26th level of doubling = 67108864 |
| Days of doubling = 2700. | 27th level of doubling = 134217728 |
| Days of doubling = 2800. | 28th level of doubling = 268435456 |
| Days of doubling = 2900. | 29th level of doubling = 536870912 |
| Days of doubling = 3000. | 30th level of doubling = 1.07374182E+9 |
| Days of doubling = 3100. | 31th level of doubling = 2.14748364E+9 |
| Days of doubling = 3200. | 32th level of doubling = 4.29496728E+9 |
| Days of doubling = 3300. | 33th level of doubling = 8.58993456E+9 |
| Days of doubling = 3400. | 34th level of doubling = 1.71798691E+10 |
| Days of doubling = 3500. | 35th level of doubling = 3.43597382E+10 |
| Days of doubling = 3600. | 36th level of doubling = 6.87194764E+10 |
| Days of doubling = 3700. | 37th level of doubling = 1.37438953E+11 |
| Days of doubling = 3800. | 38th level of doubling = 2.74877906E+11 |
| Days of doubling = 3900. | 39th level of doubling = 5.49755812E+11 |
| Days of doubling = 4000. | 40th level of doubling = 1.09951162E+12 |
| Days of doubling = 4100. | 41th level of doubling = 2.19902324E+12 |
| Days of doubling = 4200. | 42th level of doubling = 4.39804648E+12 |
| Days of doubling = 4300. | 43th level of doubling = 8.79609296E+12 |
| Days of doubling = 4400. | 44th level of doubling = 1.75921859E+13 |
| Days of doubling = 4500. | 45th level of doubling = 3.51843718E+13 |
| Days of doubling = 4600. | 46th level of doubling = 7.03687436E+13 |
| Days of doubling = 4700. | 47th level of doubling = 1.40737487E+14 |
| Days of doubling = 4800. | 48th level of doubling = 2.81474974E+14 |
| Days of doubling = 4900. | 49th level of doubling = 5.62949948E+14 |
| Days of doubling = 5000. | 50th level of doubling = 1.12589990E+15 |
| Days of doubling = 5100. | 51th level of doubling = 2.25179980E+15 |
| Days of doubling = 5200. | 52th level of doubling = 4.50359960E+15 |
| Days of doubling = 5300. | 53th level of doubling = 9.00719920E+15 |
| Days of doubling = 5400. | 54th level of doubling = 1.80143984E+16 |
| Days of doubling = 5500. | 55th level of doubling = 3.60287968E+16 |
| Days of doubling = 5600. | 56th level of doubling = 7.20575936E+16 |
| Days of doubling = 5700. | 57th level of doubling = 1.44115187E+17 |
| Days of doubling = 5800. | 58th level of doubling = 2.88230374E+17 |
| Days of doubling = 5900. | 59th level of doubling = 5.76460748E+17 |
| Days of doubling = 6000. | 60th level of doubling = 1.15292150E+18 |
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