Following can be used as a yardstick for the assessment of standards of therapy -

Survival rate It is the proportion of survivors in a group (e.g. of patients) studied and followed over a period of time. It is a method of describing prognosis in certain disease conditions. Survival experience can used as a yardstick for the assessment of standard of therapy. Survival rates have received special attention in cancer studies. 5 years of survival rate = Total no. of patients alive after 5 years / Total no. of patients diagnosed or treated x 100 Survival period is usually reckoned from the date of diagnosis or start of the treatment.