Survival rates are often used by doctors as a standard way of discussing a person's prognosis (outlook). Some patients with cancer may want to know the survival statistics for people in similar situations, while others may not find the numbers helpful, or may even not want to know them. . If you do not want to know the survival statistics for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal sinus cancers, do not read the next few paragraphs.
The 5-year survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed. Of course, many of these people live much longer than 5 years.
Five-year relative survival rates, such as the numbers below, assume that some people will die of other causes and compare the observed survival with that expected for people without the cancer. This is a more accurate way to describe the prognosis for patients with a particular type and stage of cancer.
To get 5-year survival rates, doctors have to look at people who were treated at least 5 years ago. Improvements in treatment since then may result in a more favorable outlook for people now being diagnosed with these cancers.
These numbers are from the National Cancer Data Base, based on patients diagnosed in 1998-1999, and published in the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, Seventh Edition (see the “References” section).
Supraglottis
Stage |
5-year relative survival rate |
I |
59% |
II |
59% |
III |
53% |
IV |
34% |
Glottis
Stage |
5-year relative survival rate |
I |
90% |
II |
74% |
III |
56% |
IV |
44% |
Subglottis
(These numbers are less accurate because of the small number of patients.)
Stage |
5-year relative survival rate |
I |
65% |
II |
56% |
III |
47% |
IV |
32% |
Hypopharynx
Stage |
5-year relative survival rate |
I |
53% |
II |
39% |
III |
36% |
IV |
24% |
Survival rates are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had the disease, but they cannot predict what will happen in any particular person's case. Many other factors may affect a person's outlook, such as their general health and how well the cancer responds to treatment. Your doctor can tell you how the numbers above may apply to you, as he or she is familiar with the aspects of your particular situation. If you have any questions about the stage of your cancer or how it affects your treatment, do not hesitate to ask your doctor.
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