Hi Lawrence,

I'm in a similar position to your Uncle, I'm just a few years further down the road. If you click on my username, you will be able to read my brief biography. Like your Uncle, I have never smoked, but only about 40% of cancers can be prevented by lifestyle changes - something most people are unaware of.

You are right not to take too much notice of the 5 year survival statistics. I was at a national cancer data convention recently where almost every speaker emphasised how these statistics should not be used to predict an individual patient's prognosis. The main reason for this is that the stats are not age-adjusted -  and age is one of the many variables which can affect outcomes. 

You've touched on two of the variables which make a difference - age and fitness - these can have an impact on how quickly an individual can cope with, and recover from, treatment. Other variables include co-morbidities, the stage at which it is diagnosed, the type (there are two types of OC) and the grading (which indirectly predicts how aggressive the cancer will probably be). 

I hope this helps :-)

Best wishes

Dave