Five-Year Survival Rates

(from the National Cancer Institute's Physician Data Query system, July 2003)

Oral Cavity
Sub Site Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV All Cases
Lip 90% 70-80% X 25-50%  
Anterior tongue 70-80% 50-60% 25-35% 40-45%1  
Buccal mucosa >90%1 90%1 70-80%1 60%1  
Floor of mouth 88-100%1 70-90%1 <70%1 30-50%1  
Lower gingiva >90%1 >90%1 >90%1 30-35%1  
Retromolar trigone 90-100%1 90%1 90%1 60-89%1  

Oropharynx
Sub Site Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV All Cases
Posterior tongue 60% 50% 20% 20% 50%
Tonsil 70% 50% 30% 14% 50%
Posterior pharynx 77-100%1 58-80%1 70-75%1 41-50%1 50%
Soft palate 90-100%1 80-100%1 28-82%1 25-83%1 50%

Nasopharynx
Sub Site Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV All Cases
All sites 65-95% 50-65% 30-60% 5-50%

Hypopharynx
Sub Site Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV All Cases
Pyriform sinus 50-80% 50-60% 30-50% 15-25%  
Posterior pharyngeal wall 50-90%1 70-80%1 50-70%1 30-40%1  

Larynx
Sub Site Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV All Cases
Supraglottis 75-85%2 55-65%2 45-75%3 15-35%3  
Glottis 85-95%2 60-80%2 55-70%3 10-25%3  
Subglottis X 30-40%2 X X  

Salivary glands
Sub Site Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV All Cases
All sites 90% 55% 45% 10%

Paranasal sinuses
Sub Site Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV All Cases
Maxillary sinus 60-70% 60-70% 25-35% 10-25%

Thyroid gland
Sub Site Stage I Stage II Stage III Stage IV All Cases
Papillary carcinoma >95% >95% 60% X  
Follicular carcinoma 70-90% 50-70% 20-60% X  
Medullary carcinoma >95%4 50-95%4 15-50%4 <15%4 40-60%
Anaplastic carcinoma         0-25%

1 — local control rate (including salvage treatment for some sites) 2 — disease-free
3 — 3-year disease-free
4 — 10 year survival
X — no data available