Survival statistics for vaginal cancer
Survival statistics for vaginal cancer are very general estimates and must be interpreted very carefully. Because these statistics are based on the experience of groups of people, they cannot be used to predict a particular person’s chances of survival.
There are many different ways to measure and report cancer survival statistics. Your doctor can explain the statistics for vaginal cancer and what they mean to you.
Net survival
Net survival represents the probability of surviving cancer in the absence of other causes of death. It is used to give an estimate of the percentage of people who will survive their cancer.
In Canada, 5-year net survival statistics for vaginal cancer are included in a group called other female genital organ cancers, which includes similar cancers that are grouped and reported together. This statistic does not necessarily reflect the actual survival for the individual cancers within the group.
The 5-year net survival rate for other female genital organ cancers is 59%. This means that about 59% of women diagnosed with other female genital organ cancer will survive at least 5 years.
Survival by stage and tumour type
Survival varies with each stage and particular type of vaginal cancer. Generally, the earlier vaginal cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome.
Survival by stage of vaginal cancer is reported as 5-year relative survival. Relative survival looks at how likely people with cancer are to survive after their diagnosis compared to people in the general population who do not have cancer, but who share similar characteristics (such as age and sex).
There are no specific Canadian statistics available for the different stages and types of vaginal cancer. The following information comes from a variety of sources. It may include statistics from other countries that are likely to have similar outcomes as in Canada.
|
Stage |
5-year relative survival |
|---|---|
|
1 |
84% |
|
2 |
75% |
|
3 and 4 |
57% |
|
Tumour type |
5-year relative survival |
|---|---|
|
Squamous cell carcinoma |
54% |
|
Adenocarcinoma |
60% |
|
Melanoma |
13% |
|
All types of vaginal cancer combined |
50% |
Questions about survival
Talk to your doctor about your prognosis. A prognosis depends on many factors, including:
- your health history
- the type of cancer
- the stage
- certain characteristics of the cancer
- the treatments chosen
- how the cancer responds to treatment
Only a doctor familiar with these factors can put all of this information together with survival statistics to arrive at a prognosis.