Oral Cancer 5-Year Survival Rates by Race, Sex, and Stage of Diagnosis
Oral cancer 5-year survival rates have increased approximately 28.5 percent (nearly 16.5 percentage points) from the mid-1970s until the latest (2015–2021) National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data. Despite this improvement, significant health disparities remain in some population groups.
Table 1 presents the most recent oral cancer survival rates (2015–2021) by cancer stage at the time of diagnosis for people of all ages and for selected racial and ethnic groups.
Oral Cancer Relative Survival (2015–2021)
- Overall, 69.5% of people with oral cancer survive for 5 years.
- Oral cancer survival rates are notably lower for non-Hispanic Black (57.4%) and non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native (58.9%) men.
- Diagnosing oral cancer at an early, localized stage considerably increases 5-year survival rates.
Table 1: Oral Cancer Relative Survival by Race, and Sex
| Race | Sex | 5-Year Relative Survival (%) | SE | 5-Year Relative Survival (%) | SE | 5-Year Relative Survival (%) | SE | 5-Year Relative Survival (%) | SE | 5-Year Relative Survival (%) /th> | SE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Races | Both Sexes | 69.5 | 0.2 | 88.4 | 0.35 | 69.4 | 0.27 | 36.9 | 0.52 | 61.4 | 0.81 |
| Female | 70.6 | 0.37 | 90.2 | 0.51 | 64.2 | 0.58 | 35.8 | 1.03 | .4 | 1.44 | |
| Male | 69.1 | 0.24 | 87.2 | 0.47 | 71.0 | 0.31 | 37.3 | 0.6 | 60.4 | 0.98 | |
| Non-Hispanic White | Both Sexes | 71.4 | 0.24 | 88.3 | 0.42 | 71.7 | 0.31 | 37.8 | 0.65 | 60.9 | 1 |
| Female | 71.0 | 0.46 | 89.8 | 0.65 | 64.0 | 0.71 | 36.1 | 1.33 | 62.2 | 1.83 | |
| Male | 71.5 | 0.28 | 87.3 | 0.56 | 73.7 | 0.35 | 38.4 | 0.74 | 60.4 | 1.19 | |
| Non-Hispanic Black | Both Sexes | 57.4 | 0.73 | 85.2 | 1.39 | 57.6 | 1.02 | 31.0 | 1.38 | 53.4 | 2.94 |
| Female | 62.1 | 1.23 | 87.0 | 1.88 | 58.6 | 1.91 | 31.9 | 2.46 | 56.7 | 4.77 | |
| Male | 55.2 | 0.9 | 83.2 | 2.02 | 57.1 | 1.21 | 30.5 | 1.66 | 51.3 | 3.71 | |
| Hispanic | Both Sexes | 64.4 | 0.6 | 88.4 | 0.96 | .7 | 0.84 | 30.4 | 1.41 | .2 | 2.23 |
| Female | 69.8 | 1.02 | 89.7 | 1.35 | 64.1 | 1.58 | 31.9 | 2.99 | .2 | 3.9 | |
| Male | 61.9 | 0.73 | 87.2 | 1.37 | .5 | 0.99 | 29.8 | 1.6 | 49.9 | 2.69 | |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | Both Sexes | 69.6 | 0.69 | 89.9 | 0.99 | 66.9 | 1.04 | 46.3 | 1.67 | 61.6 | 2.75 |
| Female | 74.8 | 1.09 | 93.5 | 1.19 | 70.9 | 1.82 | 41.8 | 3.13 | 59.3 | 4.49 | |
| Male | 66.9 | 0.88 | 86.5 | 1.52 | 65.2 | 1.27 | 48.0 | 1.97 | .0 | 3.47 | |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | Both Sexes | 58.9 | 3.28 | 83.5 | 6.01 | 61.4 | 4.61 | 31.0 | 5.96 | * | * |
| Female | 64.4 | 6.42 | 97.5 | 3 | 56.6 | 9.34 | * | * | * | * | |
| Male | 57.0 | 3.81 | 73.3 | 8.28 | .0 | 5.26 | 30.8 | 6.67 | * | * |
*Estimates based on less than 16 cases are suppressed and not shown.
Source: SEER*Explorer: An interactive website for SEER cancer statistics [Internet]. Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute; 2025 Apr 16. [updated: 2026 Jan 8; cited 2026 Mar 6]. Available from: https://seer.cancer.gov/statistics-network/explorer/. Data source(s): SEER Incidence Data, November 2024 Submission (1975–2022), SEER 21 registries (excluding Illinois). Expected Survival Life Tables by Socio-Economic Standards.
May 2026