Survival statistics for stomach cancer
Survival statistics for stomach cancer are very general estimates and must be interpreted very carefully. Because these statistics are based on the experience of groups of people, they cannot be used to predict a particular person's chances of survival.
There are many different ways to measure and report cancer survival statistics. Your doctor can explain the statistics for stomach cancer and what they mean to you.
Net survival
Net survival represents the probability (chance) of surviving cancer in the absence of other causes of death. It is used to give an estimate of the percentage of people who will survive their cancer.
In Canada, the 5-year net survival for stomach cancer is 29%. This means that, on average, about 29% of people diagnosed with stomach cancer will survive for at least 5 years.
Survival by stage
Survival varies with each stage of stomach cancer. Often stomach cancer is not found until it is at an advanced stage, which can make it harder to treat.
There are no specific Canadian statistics available for the different stages of stomach cancer. The following information comes from the United States, which is likely to have similar outcomes as in Canada.
Survival statistics by stage for stomach cancer are often reported as 5-year
observed survival. Observed survival is the percentage of people with a
particular cancer who are alive at a certain point in time after their
diagnosis. Observed survival does not consider the cause of death, so the people
who are not alive 5 years after their diagnosis could have died from cancer or
from another cause. Observed survival statistics are reported for people with
stomach
| Stage | 5-year observed survival |
|---|---|
| 1A | 71% |
| 1B | 57% |
| 2A | 46% |
| 2B | 33% |
| 3A | 20% |
| 3B | 14% |
|
3C |
9% |
| 4 | 4% |
People who haven't had surgery will probably have lower survival.
Survival statistics for stomach cancer may also be reported as 5-year relative survival. Relative survival looks at how likely people with cancer are to survive for at least 5 years after their diagnosis compared to people in the general population who do not have cancer but who share similar characteristics (such as age and sex).
| Stage | 5-year relative survival |
|---|---|
| cancer is only in the stomach (localized) | 69% |
| cancer has grown into lymph nodes around the stomach (regional) | 31% |
| cancer has spread to other parts of the body (distant) | 5% |
Questions about survival
Talk to your doctor about your
- your health history
- the type of cancer
- the stage
- certain features of the cancer
- the treatments chosen
- how the cancer responds to treatment
Only a doctor familiar with these factors can put all of this information together with survival statistics to arrive at a prognosis.