Cervical Cancer Survival

Between 1966 and 1992, deaths from cervical cancer in the United States dropped by 74%. The main reason for the decrease is the increased use of the PAP smear. A PAP smear can detect early pre-cancerous cells which are the most curable. With new treatments being added periodically, the death rate continues to decline nearly 4% each year.

There are many different factors that will affect prognosis of cervical cancer including the stage of cancer, age and health of the patient

The number of people who beat cancer depends largely on their stage of cancer and their age.

Cervical Cancer tends to appear during midlife. Over half of the women diagnosed are between the ages of 35 and 55. It rarely occurs in women under 20 and only 20% of the infected women are over 65 years of age.

Hispanic women have the greatest instance of cervical cancer, more than twice that in non-Hispanic white women. African-American women develop cancer 50% more often than non-Hispanic white women.

The earliest stage of cervical cancer is stage 0. This is the precancerous stage and just about every woman diagnosed and treated during this stage will be cured. The 5-year survival rate for this stage is 92%. The 5-year survival rate is the percentage of patients who live at least five years after their initial treatment. Of course, many people live much longer than the five years. 

During stage 1A, 95% of affected women will be alive five years after being diagnosed. For stage 1B, between 85 and 90% of diagnosed women will remain alive. This does not include women with cancer in their lymph nodes.

For stage IIA, between 75 and 80% of women will be alive five years after being diagnosed. The statistics hovers around 75% for stage IIB.

Stage III survival rates is around 50% for both groups (stage IIIA and IIIB).

Stage IV is the most advanced stage. Only 20% of stage IVA survives after 5 years with stage IVB at less than 10%.

Overall, about 7 out of 10 women or 70% will remain alive 5 years after diagnosis. Younger women have a higher survival rate than older women.

Some studies indicate that adding chemotherapy to treatment plans increases survival rates by 50% for locally invasive cervical cancer. 

The survival rate in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. are high due to early detection by the increased usage of the PAP smear test. Many developing nations have an overall survival rate of less than 40%.

There is overwhelming evidence that if detected and treated early, a woman can expect a full and complete recovery from cervical cancer.


Resources/Links:

Survival Statistics (Cancerresearch UK)

Cervcial Cancer Survival Rates (About.com)

This page was last updated:

April 10,  2007

It is not the intention of Cervicalcancer.org to provide specific medical advice, but rather to provide users with information to better understand their health and their diagnosed disorders. Specific medical advice will not be provided, and Cervicalcancer.org urges you to consult with a qualified physician for diagnosis and for answers to your personal questions.
FarCry - Mollio