Colon Cancer Prognosis

When a doctor speaks of a colon cancer prognosis, this refers to how the cancer will manifest itself in the patient. The outcome or prognosis depends on many different factors including the age of the patient, overall health and effectiveness of treatment. Survival rates will also be discussed if the patient wishes to hear the statistics. However, a prognosis is only a possibility and not a certainty. Each patient reacts in a different way to treatment.

What Affects The Colon Cancer Prognosis?

The location of the cancer inside the colon can affect the colon cancer prognosis. In addition, prognosis also depends on whether the cancer was caught in its early stage before it has had a chance to spread. Further, as previously mentioned, age and the general health of the patient also come into play.

Colon Cancer Prognosis Survival Rates

When the doctor goes over survival rates this includes the percentage of patients who have had similar cancers in the same stage as the patient and how long they lived after diagnosis. As a rule, a 5-year survival rate is the reference used in the medical community.

5-year Survival Rates

The five-year survival rate for those people diagnoses with colon cancer between the years 1996-2002 was 64.1 percent. White men had the best colon cancer prognosis at 66 percent. This was followed by white women at 64.2 percent. Black men had a colon cancer prognosis of 55.6 percent and black women were at 53.9 percent.

Colon Cancer Prognosis Based On Stage

Early stage colon cancer diagnosis occurs in 39 percent of colon cancer patients. The cancer would have spread to local lymph nodes in 37 percent of the cases. Metastasis would have already occurred by the time colon cancer is diagnosed in 19 percent of all colon cancer cases. In these situations, the colon cancer prognosis is best in early stage detection at a 90.4 percent five-year survival rate. When colon cancer has spread to the local lymph nodes the 5-year survival rate is 68.1 percent and with metastasis only, it is at a 9.8 percent survival rate.

There is no sure thing when it comes to a patient’s survival when diagnosed with colon cancer. As with most stages of cancer the earlier it is caught the better. Of course preventing colon cancer is the best practice and diet, exercise and regularly cleansing the colon of fecal matter build up, all contributes to keeping the colon healthy. You should also have regular colonoscopies done once in a while to ensure early detection of colon cancer.