Survival rate for tongue cancer
The survival rate in tongue cancer can vary greatly and depends mainly on the stage at which the disease was diagnosed and whether a therapy can be initiated in time with the aim of a cure. Leaving aside all factors that influence the average life expectancy, about 40-50% of all people with tongue cancer survive the next ten years after diagnosis of the disease. However, there are great differences when looking at individual groups. Patients with a low tumor spread without metastases in other organs have a relatively good average survival rate after complete surgical removal of the tongue cancer. At an advanced stage with involvement of lung, bone or other organs, there is no chance of recovery and survival beyond the next five years is extremely unlikely.
How often does tongue cancer end fatally?
Tongue cancer is a malignant disease that can lead to death within a few years if left untreated. It is not possible to say in general how often tongue cancer is actually fatal, since most patients also suffer from other diseases and it cannot always be clearly stated which one is ultimately the cause of death. Especially after a successful treatment of a cancer discovered in time, some people can be considered cured, while others suffer a relapse in the following years, which in turn can ultimately lead to death.
At a very advanced stage, where no treatment can be attempted to cure the cancer, tongue cancer usually ends fatally after a few months to a few years. However, in isolated cases, significant deviations from these average figures are possible. Our next article might also be interesting for you: Squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue
All articles in this series:
