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%