Five-Year Survival Rates
(from the National Cancer Institute's Physician Data Query system, July 2003)
Esophageal cancer is lethal because the esophagus has no serosa; any tumor extension beyond the esophagus can spread rapidly. Overall, the five-year survival rate is less than 10% for all stages combined.
Esophagus
Stage |
Survival Rate |
Stage 0 |
Excellent |
Stage I |
> 65% |
Stage IIA |
30% |
Stage IIB |
15% |
Stage III |
< 10% |
Stage IV |
Rare |
Stomach
Stage |
Survival Rate |
Stage 0 |
> 90% |
Stage I |
50 - 70% for distal cancers; 10 - 15% for proximal cancers |
Stage II |
> 25% for T1/T2 Node positive cases; < 25% for T3 cases |
Stage III |
15% for distal cancers |
Stage IV |
< 5% |
Small Intestine
Stage |
Survival Rate |
Stage 0 |
not reported |
Stage I |
60-70% |
Stage II |
45-55% |
Stage III |
15% |
Stage IV |
<10% |
Carcinoid |
< 40% |