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Prognosis for Thyroid Cancer
Prognosis for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer
Studies have shown that the most important prognostic indicators for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer include age, size of the tumor, and the presence or absence of distant metastases. In general, the prognosis is more favorable for younger patients (under age 45) than for patients older than age 45. The prognosis is also more favorable for smaller tumors that are confined to the thyroid gland than for large tumors that have spread beyond the thyroid gland (locally advanced disease) or have spread to distant sites. The estimated relative 5-year survival rates by Stage for patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (papillary and follicular) are as follows:
Stages I and II - Relative 5-year survival rate is 100% for both papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma
Stage III - Relative 5-year survival rate ranges from 79% for follicular thyroid carcinoma to 96% for papillary thyroid carcinoma.
Stage IV - Relative 5-year survival rate of about 45% - 47% for papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma, respectively.
