What is the prognosis for colon cancer?
Prognosis is the long-term outlook or survival after therapy. Overall, about 50% of patients treated for colon cancer survive the disease. As expected, the survival rates are dependent upon the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis, making early detection crucial. If the cancer is detected early, surgical removal of the tumor can lead to complete cure in 75%–90% of patients. About 15% of patients present with stage I disease and 85–90% survive. Stage II represents 20–30% of cases and 65–75% survive. Thirty to forty percent comprise the stage III presentation of which 55% survive. The remaining 20–25% present with stage IV disease and are rarely cured. Source: The Gale Group. Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 3rd ed.
