Thyroid Cancer Survival Rate

A thyroid cancer survival rate expresses the percentage of people with the disease who survive the cancer for a certain period after their diagnosis. The thyroid cancer survival rates discussed in this article are based on the relative survival rate for thyroid cancer, which measures the survival of patients with the disease in comparison to the general population to estimate the effect of the cancer. The overall five-year relative thyroid cancer survival rate from 1995-2001 was 96.6 percent.

 

What Is a Thyroid Cancer Survival Rate?

Thyroid cancer survival rates refer to the percentage of people with thyroid cancer who survive the disease for a specific period of time after their diagnosis. In most cases, statistics refer to the five-year thyroid cancer survival rate. The five-year thyroid cancer survival rate is the percentage of people who are alive five years after a thyroid cancer diagnosis, whether they have few or no signs or symptoms of thyroid cancer, are free of disease, or are receiving treatment for thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer survival rates are based on large groups of people -- they cannot be used to predict what will happen to a particular patient. No two patients are exactly alike, and thyroid cancer treatment and responses to treatment vary greatly.
 

Factors Influencing the Thyroid Cancer Survival Rate

In general, the thyroid cancer survival rate will depend on:
 
  • The stage of thyroid cancer (see Thyroid Cancer Staging)
  • The type of thyroid cancer cells and how they look under a microscope
  • The patient's age and general health.
 
The survival rate is better for patients younger than 40 years of age who have cancer that has not spread beyond the thyroid.
 
(Thyroid Cancer Survival Rate Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD