Table of Contents

Introduction

Pancreatic cancer survival rate statistics are usually given as a five-year pancreatic cancer survival rate. This means that the percentage of people who live at least five years after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are calculated. For example, if the five-year survival rate for a specific stage of pancreatic cancer is 60%, it means that patients who have that cancer are around 60% as likely as people who don’t have that cancer to live for at least 5 years after being diagnosed. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean they will only live for 5 more years; many people live much longer than 5 years (and many are cured). Still, the five-year relative survival rate gives you an idea of the outlook for people with pancreatic cancer.

Note: The numbers below represent the average life expectancy rates and may not be applicable to every patient’s situation. Your doctor will help you determine your treatment options based on your unique case.

The pancreatic cancer survival rate depends on many factors.

The pancreatic cancer survival rate depends on many factors, including:

  • Age, gender and race of the patient. A person’s chance of surviving pancreatic cancer varies depending on their age at diagnosis. Younger patients have a better prognosis than older patients. This is because most pancreatic cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage in older individuals.
  • Tumor size and location. The size of a tumor is often used to predict how fast it will grow or spread throughout the body. When a tumor grows quickly, it may be more difficult to treat with surgery or other forms of treatment than if it grows slowly. If part of an organ such as your lungs needs to be removed surgically because it contains cancer cells that can’t be treated any other way, this could affect your overall survival time after surgery for this disease (pancreatic cancer). The location where the cancer originated from may also affect your prognosis; for example, some people who have tumors located in close proximity to major blood vessels or nerves tend to do worse than those whose tumors are not near these structures in their bodies (pancreatic cancer).

Stage I pancreatic cancer has a five-year relative survival rate of about 25 to 30 percent.

Stage I pancreatic cancer has a five-year relative survival rate of about 25 to 30 percent. This is one of the best survival rates for any type of cancer and a good candidate for surgery.

About 10 percent of patients survive five years after being diagnosed with stage III pancreatic cancer.

The survival rate of stage III pancreatic cancer depends on several factors, including the type of cancer and the stage at which it is diagnosed. Other influencing factors include the patient’s overall health, age and gender.

Patients with early-stage disease have a better chance of recovery than those with advanced disease. A patient may also fare better if he or she has been treated with chemotherapy before surgery or radiation therapy after surgery.

Survival rates for stage IV pancreatic cancer are low, with only 2 to 7 percent of patients surviving more than five years.

For stage IV pancreatic cancer, the five-year survival rate is less than 7 percent. Survival rates for stage IV pancreatic cancer are low, with only 2 to 7 percent of patients surviving more than five years.

Survival rates can vary widely depending on the type of tumor, whether it has spread to other parts of your body and where it has spread. Even if you have a large tumor in your pancreas and your doctor finds cancer in nearby lymph nodes or another part of your body that does not belong there (metastasis), chances are good that you will survive longer than if you had a small tumor in just one place without any metastases yet.

Tumor size and location, age and overall health can help determine your pancreatic cancer survival rate.

A doctor will assess the size of your tumor, its location, and whether or not it has spread to other parts of your body.

  • Tumor size: The larger the tumor, the more likely it is to be cancerous. A tumor that measures 3 centimeters or more is considered large and may indicate advanced pancreatic cancer. Doctors estimate how large a tumor is by measuring from its edge to its center (the longest distance across). The smaller end of this measurement is called the diameter.
  • Location: Most pancreatic cancers start in digestive tissue like the pancreas itself or one of its ducts (tubes). These tumors can grow quickly because they have lots of blood flow and are close to nearby lymph nodes that help fight disease in this area (colon). A cancerous tumor outside these areas rarely spreads as fast as those inside them do so doctors tend not consider location when giving survival rates for specific types of pancreatic cancer cases; however, if you have surgery then your surgeon will try not only remove as much cancerous tissue but also remove any nearby healthy tissue so there’s less chance for recurrence later on down road should some cells remain after treatment has been finished successfully according

Pancreatic cancer is often hard to detect because it causes few symptoms and is typically advanced by the time it’s diagnosed.

Pancreatic cancer is often hard to detect because it causes few symptoms and is typically advanced by the time it’s diagnosed.

Most people with pancreatic cancer don’t have any symptoms until their disease has progressed to an advanced stage. The most common symptom of pancreatic cancer is abdominal pain that doesn’t go away, but many other symptoms can occur, such as:

  • Abdominal bloating or swelling
  • Back pain
  • Loss of appetite and weight loss

Conclusion

The most important thing to remember is that cancer survival rates are only estimates, and many factors can affect your actual outcome. Your doctor should be able to give you more specific information about how your pancreatic cancer will progress and what treatment options are available. Don’t hesitate to ask about additional resources for support.