Pancreatic Cancer Survival Rates

Overall Survival Rates

Survival rates can be calculated by different methods for different purposes. The pancreatic cancer survival rates presented here are based on the relative survival rate. The relative survival rate measures the survival of cancer patients in comparison to the general population to estimate the effect of cancer. The overall five-year relative survival rate for pancreatic cancer between 1995 and 2001 was 4.6 percent. The five-year relative survival rates by race and sex were:
 
  • 4.7 percent for white men
  • 4.2 percent for white women
  • 2.9 percent for African American men
  • 5.6 percent for African American women.
 

Survival Rates Based on Stage

The pancreatic cancer stage plays a role in the pancreatic cancer prognosis (see Stages of Pancreatic Cancer). Based on historical data:
 
  • 7 percent of pancreas cancer cases are diagnosed while the cancer is still confined to the primary site (localized stage)
 
  • 26 percent of pancreas cancer cases are diagnosed after the cancer has spread to regional lymph nodes or directly beyond the primary site
 
  • 52 percent of pancreatic cancer cases are diagnosed after the cancer has already metastasized (distant stage)
 
  • 14 percent of pancreatic cancer cases had staging information that was unknown.
 
The corresponding five-year relative survival rates were:
 
  • 16.4 percent for localized
  • 7.0 percent for regional
  • 1.8 percent for distant
  • 4.3 percent for unstaged.
 
(Click Pancreatic Cancer Statistics for more statistics concerning pancreatic cancer.)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
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