You have to believe, and you have to fight: Cancer survivor Lance Armstrong on courage

When I was 25, I got testicular cancer and nearly died. I was given less than a 40% change of surviving, and frankly, some of my doctors were just being kind when they gave me those odds.

Children [with cancer] have the ability to ignore odds and percentages. Maybe we can learn from them. What other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or fight like hell.

After I was well again, I asked Dr. Nichols what my chances really were. "You were in bad shape," he said. I was one of the worst cases he had seen. I asked, "How bad was I? Worst 50%?" He shook his head. "Worst 20%?" He shook his head again. "Worst 10?" He still shook his head. When I got to 3%, he started nodding.

Lance's Advice: Anything's possible. You can be told you have a 90% chance or a 50% chance or a 1% chance, but you have to believe, and you have to fight. By fight I mean arm yourself with all the available information, get second opinions, third opinions, and fourth opinions. Understand what has invaded your body, and what the possible cures are. It’s a fact of cancer that the more informed and empowered patient has a better chance of long-term survival.