Survival statistics for testicular cancer
Survival statistics for 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 these statistics 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 cancer.
In Canada, the 5-year net survival for testicular cancer is 97%. This means that, on average, about 97% of people diagnosed with testicular cancer will live for at least 5 years.
Survival by stage
Survival varies with each stage of testicular cancer. Testicular cancer often responds well to treatment. Generally, the earlier testicular cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome.
Survival by stage of testicular cancer is 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).
There are no specific Canadian statistics available for the different stages of testicular cancer. The following information comes from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. It includes survival rates for testicular cancers in the United States, which are likely to be similar in Canada. SEER lists survival based on how much the cancer has spread from where it originally started. It uses localized, regional and distant stages.
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Localized means there is no sign that the cancer has spread outside of the testicles.
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Regional means the cancer has spread outside the testicle to nearby structures or lymph nodes.
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Distant means the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the lung, liver or distant lymph nodes.
|
SEER stage |
5-year relative survival |
|---|---|
|
localized |
99% |
|
regional |
96% |
|
distant |
72% |
Questions about survival
Talk to your doctor about your prognosis. A prognosis depends on many factors, including:
- your health history
- the type of cancer
- the stage
- certain aspects of the cancer, such as where it started
- 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.
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