Survival statistics for vulvar cancer
Survival statistics for 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 these statistics and what they mean to you.
Net survival
Net survival represents the probability (chance) of surviving cancer in the absence of other causes of death. It’s used to give an estimate of the percentage of people who will survive cancer.
In Canada, a separate 5-year net survival statistic is not reported for vulvar
cancer. But it is included in a group called other female
The 5-year net survival for all other female genital organ cancers is 62%. This means that, on average, people diagnosed with other female genital organ cancers are 62% as likely to live at least 5 years after their diagnosis as people in the general population.
Survival by stage
Survival varies with each stage of vulvar cancer. Generally, the earlier vulvar cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome.
Survival by stage of vulvar cancer is reported as a 5-year relative survival. Relative survival looks at how likely people with cancer are to survive for at least 5 years 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 of vulvar cancer. The following information comes from the US, which is likely to have similar outcomes to those in Canada. It includes statistics based on 3 summary stages:
Localized means the cancer is only in the vulva.
Regional means the cancer has spread to nearby organs and lymph nodes.
Distant means the cancer has spread to distant organs.
|
Stage |
5-year relative survival |
|---|---|
|
Localized |
86% |
|
Regional |
47% |
|
Distant |
22% |
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.
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