For all mouth (oral cavity) cancers: more than 75 out of 100 people (more than 75%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more after they are diagnosed. around 55 out of 100 people (around 55%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
Oral cancer is fairly common. It can be cured if found and treated at an early stage (when it's small and has not spread). A healthcare provider or dentist often finds oral cancer in its early stages because the mouth and lips are easy to examine. Almost all oral cancers are squamous cell carcinomas.
Survival at 5 years
Survival can vary from 95% at five years for stage 1 mouth cancer to 5% at five years for some cancers at stage 4 disease, depending on the location of the lesion. Stage of diagnosis affects survival, and people diagnosed with mouth cancer at stage 3 and 4 have a significantly reduced prognosis.
Most oral cancers are a type called squamous cell carcinoma. These cancers tend to spread quickly.
For all mouth (oral cavity) cancers:
more than 75 out of 100 people (more than 75%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more after they are diagnosed. around 55 out of 100 people (around 55%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
Rates of occurrence in the United States
It will cause over 9,750 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 54,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only slightly more than half will be alive in 5 years. (Approximately 57%) This is a number that has not significantly improved in decades.
In general, oral cavity cancer tends to spread primarily to the lymph nodes of the neck first before it spreads or metastasizes to other areas. The lung is a likely second level of metastasis. Spread to lymph nodes is called locoregional metastasis and spread to the lung (or other organs) called distant metastasis.
If the cancer has not spread beyond the mouth or the part of your throat at the back of your mouth (oropharynx) a complete cure may be possible using surgery alone. If the cancer is large or has spread to your neck, a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy may be needed.
Left untreated, oral cancer can spread throughout your mouth and throat to other areas of your head and neck. Approximately 63% of people with oral cavity cancer are alive five years after diagnosis.
It can be quite an aggressive cancer. The cancer may not be found until it is quite advanced because you might not have any pain or symptoms. Your dentist is the person most likely to discover your mouth cancer, so it's important to have regular dental check-ups.
The problem is that it often is diagnosed in very late stages, at which point treatment is not as effective. Frequently the cancer has spread to other parts of the body by the time it has been detected. Because of this, the oral cancer survival rate is somewhat low.
Oral cancer is usually regarded as a disease which kills by uncontrollable local tumor, recurrence, or metastatic disease above the clavicles.
Despite the various treatment modalities available, the overall 5-year survival rate after treatment of oral cancer (all the stages included) is around 50% [12]. Loco-regional recurrence is the most common cause for treatment failure. Recurrence is known to occur in about 35% of patients treated for oral cancer [17].
Moreover, the survival rate depends on specific factors, like the cancer stage, cancer location, and the patient's age. The survival rate among people with early-stage untreated mouth cancer is around 30% for five years, whereas the rate gets reduced to 12% for people with Stage 4 untreated mouth cancer.
Surgeons usually perform a wide resection to manage oral cancer, meaning they surgically remove the tumor along with a margin of healthy tissue to help ensure all cancerous cells are removed. If a tumor is found on the lip, tongue, or in the lining of the oral cavity, surgeons may remove surrounding soft tissue.
Is stage 4 cancer always terminal? Stage 4 cancer is not always terminal. It is usually advanced and requires more aggressive treatment. Terminal cancer refers to cancer that is not curable and eventually results in death.
In late stages, patients with oral cancer for example, may succumb to a cancer in the lungs or the brain, which was not the location of the original, primary tumor. Metastasis most commonly occurs by way of the bloodstream or the lymphatic system.
The incidence of oral cancer increases with age. The increase becomes more rapid after age 50, particularly for adults aged 65 years and older.
Oral cancer forms when cells on the lips or in the mouth mutate. Most often they begin in the flat, thin cells that line your lips and the inside of your mouth. These are called squamous cells. Small changes to the DNA of the squamous cells make the cells grow abnormally.
Stage II: The tumor is 2 cm or smaller, and the depth of invasion is between 5 and 10 mm. Or, the tumor is larger than 2 cm but not larger than 4 cm, and the depth of invasion is 10 mm or less. The cancer has not spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body (T2, N0, M0).
Tongue. Tongue cancer is the most common area of mouth cancer in the U.S. and occurs in the front two-thirds of the tongue (base of tongue cancer is known as an oropharyngeal or throat cancer). Tongue cancer is known to be high risk for spreading to the lymph nodes within the neck.
Oral cancer most often occurs in people over the age of 40 and affects more than twice as many men as women. Most oral cancers are related to tobacco use, alcohol use (or both), or infection by the human papilloma virus (HPV).
The stakes are higher with oral cancer because the disease can take years before it develops in your mouth. Many people may not develop cancer until they are over 55 years.