Oral cancer survival rates have increased approximately 27 percent (nearly 15 percentage points) from the mid-1970s until the latest (2012–2018) National Cancer Institute survey. In spite of this improvement, significant disparities remain in some population groups.
Table 1 presents the most recent oral cancer survival rates (2012–2018) by cancer stage at the time of diagnosis for adult men and women of all ages and for selected racial groups.
Oral Cancer Relative Survival (2012–2018)
- Overall, 68% of people with oral cancer survive for 5 years.
- Oral cancer survival rates are significantly lower for Black and American Indian/Alaska Native men and women.
- Diagnosing oral cancer at an early, localized stage significantly increases 5-year survival rates.
Table 1: Oral Cancer Relative Survival by Age, Race, and Gender
| Race | Gender | All Stages | Localized | Regional | Distant | Unstaged |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All races | All | 68.0 | 86.3 | 69.0 | 40.4 | 59.9 |
| All races | Male | 67.7 | 85.7 | 70.4 | 41.3 | 56.7 |
| All races | Female | 68.8 | 87.1 | 63.8 | 37.2 | 58.8 |
| Non-Hispanic White | All | 69.8 | 86.7 | 70.8 | 41.1 | 56.9 |
| Non-Hispanic White | Male | 69.8 | 86.3 | 72.4 | 42.4 | 56.8 |
| Non-Hispanic White | Female | 69.7 | 87.4 | 64.3 | 36.6 | 57.1 |
| Non-Hispanic Black | All | 52.2 | 77.1 | 56.4 | 30.6 | 39.5 |
| Non-Hispanic Black | Male | 51.4 | 74.8 | 57.4 | 30.9 | 39.1 |
| Non-Hispanic Black | Female | 54.0 | 79.5 | 53.4 | 29.5 | 39.7 |
| Hispanic | All | 64.7 | 85.8 | 64.3 | 37.9 | 54.6 |
| Hispanic | Male | 62.4 | 85.2 | 64.7 | 37.7 | 47.2 |
| Hispanic | Female | 69.6 | 86.5 | 63.3 | 38.5 | 65.4 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | All | 68.2 | 85.8 | 68.2 | 48.5 | 54.2 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | Male | 66.0 | 83.5 | 67.8 | 48.7 | 54.0 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | Female | 72.2 | 87.8 | 69.0 | 48.0 | 53.7 |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | All | 59.4 | 78.7 | 64.9 | 31.7 | - |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | Male | 59.1 | 70.2 | 67.9 | 32.8 | - |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | Female | 59.7 | 88.7 | 54.1 | 30.0 | - |
Source: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, National Cancer Institute Surveillance Research Program based on SEER 17 areas for 2012–2018: San Francisco, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, New Mexico, Seattle, Utah, Atlanta, San Jose-Monterey, Los Angeles, Alaska Native Registry, Rural Georgia, California (excluding San Francisco, San Jose-Monterey, and Los Angeles), Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Georgia (excluding Atlanta and rural Georgia).
- Estimates based on fewer than 25 cases.