By
Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis and Survival
Aside from the traditional stages, doctors often think pragmatically about pancreatic tumors, dividing them into groups based on how far the cancer has spread.
Survival rates vary considerably among these groups. The disease is rarely diagnosed when it’s confined to the pancreas, which is associated with the highest survival rates.
|
DIAGNOSES OF THIS TYPE |
5-YEAR SURVIVAL RATE |
|
LOCALIZED: Cancer is confined to the pancreas |
7% |
20% |
|
REGIONAL: Cancer has spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes |
26% |
8.2% |
|
DISTANT: Cancer has metastasized |
52% |
1.8% |
|
UNKNOWN STAGE |
15% |
4.3% |
Source: The NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program