Survival Rates for Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. Cervical cancer is curable, and survival rates are high if you’re diagnosed and treated early. The key is early detection. Cervical cancer used to have lower survival rates than it does today. Regular cancer screenings and better treatments have led to much higher survival rates in recent decades.
A relative survival rate compares women with the same type and stage of cancer to women in the overall population. For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate for a specific stage of cervical cancer is 90%, it means that women who have that cancer are, on average, about 90% as likely as women who don’t have that cancer to live for at least 5 years after being diagnosed.
The American Cancer Society relies on information from the SEER* database, maintained by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), to provide survival statistics for different types of cancer. The SEER database tracks 5-year relative survival rates for cervical cancer in the United States, based on how far the cancer has spread.
The NCI tracks cancer diagnoses and the survival rates each year. The NCI groups cancers according to how far the cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis. For instance:
- Localized. This category is used when cancer cells have been found in your cervix and uterus, but no cancer has been found in surrounding tissue.
- Regional. This category is when cancer has spread beyond your cervix and uterus into your surrounding lymph nodes.
- Distant. This category is when cancer that first grew in your cervix has spread to other organs, bones, and areas of your body.
Cervical cancer stages
- Stage 0 – this stage, cancer cells have been found on the surface of your cervix.
- Stage 1 – this stage, cancer cells have been found deeper within your cervix, but the cancer cells haven’t spread to other structures.
- Stage 2 – this stage, cancer cells have been found in your cervix and uterus, but they haven’t spread into your vagina or pelvic area.
- Stage 3 – During this stage, cancer cells have been found in your lower vagina or pelvic walls. Cancer cells could be blocking your urinary tubes, and they may have spread to your pelvic lymph nodes.
- Stage 4 – At this stage, cancer cells have been found in other parts of your body, such as your lungs or bones.
