Five-Year Survival Rates

(from the National Cancer Institute's Physician Data Query system, July, 2002)

Favorable prognostic signs for pancreatic cancer are low grade lesions, tumor confined to head of pancreas, and longer duration of symptoms.

Pancreas (Three Year Survival)
Stage Survival Rate
Stage I 15 % for resectable head of pancreas tumors; 1 % for other sub sites
Stage II 2%
Stage III < 2%
Stage IV < 1%

Gallbladder
Stage Survival Rate
Localized 80 %
Unresectable < 5%

Liver
Stage Survival Rate
Localized, resectable 10-30 %
Unresectable < 1%

Extrahepatic Bile Ducts
Stage Survival Rate
Localized 10 %
Unresectable none