Bowel (colorectal) cancer
The terms 1 year survival and 5 year survival don't mean that you will only live for 1 or 5 years.
The NHS, other health organisations, and researchers collect information. They record what happens to people with cancer in the years after their diagnosis. 5 years is a common time point to measure survival. But some people live much longer than this.
5 year survival is the number of people who have not died from their cancer within 5 years after diagnosis.
No UK-wide statistics are available for different stages of bowel (colorectal) cancer. Survival statistics are available for each stage of bowel cancer in England. These figures are for people diagnosed between 2016 and 2020 and followed up to 2021.
Around 90 out of 100 people (around 90%) with stage 1 bowel cancer will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they're diagnosed.
Around 85 out of 100 people (around 85%) with stage 2 bowel cancer will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they're diagnosed.
65 out of 100 people (65%) with stage 3 bowel cancer will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they're diagnosed.
Around 10 out of 100 people (around 10%) with stage 4 bowel cancer will survive their cancer for 5 years or more after they're diagnosed.
A 2010 UK study looked at people with bowel cancer that had spread to the liver. For people where surgery was available, around 45 out of 100 people (around 45%) survived their disease for 5 years or more after the operation. This includes people who may have died from causes not related to cancer.
You can view survival figures for Wales and Northern Ireland on our early diagnosis pages. Survival statistics for Scotland are not available.
Go to our early diagnosis data hub to view survival statistics for Wales and Northern Ireland
At diagnosis, your doctors might tell you about your outlook (prognosis) using 1, 5 and 10 year survival statistics.
Generally for people with bowel cancer in England:
around 80 out of 100 people (around 80%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more
almost 60 out of 100 people (almost 60%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more
almost 55 out of 100 people (almost 55%) survive their cancer for 10 years or more
For some cancer types, prognosis improves as time passes. For example, your chances of surviving your cancer for a total of 5 years or more after diagnosis are higher if you've already survived a year since diagnosis. Doctors call this conditional survival. It gives an updated picture of your prognosis. It takes into account how long you have already survived since diagnosis.
For people in England who survive their bowel cancer for 1 year or more after diagnosis:
75 out of 100 people (75%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more
Read more about conditional survival
Your outlook depends on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed. This means how far it has spread through the layers of the bowel and whether it has spread.
The type of cancer and grade of the cancer cells can also affect your survival. Grade means how abnormal the cells look under the microscope.
Your general health and fitness also affect survival, the fitter you are, the better you may be able to cope with your cancer and treatment.
A 2025 study showed that structured physical activity can improve the chances of surviving colon cancer. People survived their cancer for longer if they:
were supported in an exercise programme over 3 years
started the programme soon after having chemotherapy
Some bowel cancers make a protein called carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). People with high CEA levels before treatment may have a worse outlook.
Bowel cancer can sometimes cause a blockage in the bowel (bowel obstruction). If this happens, you have a small risk of developing a hole in the wall of the bowel. This is called perforation. People with bowel cancer who have an obstruction or perforation of the bowel have a worse outlook.
Find out more about bowel obstruction
For more in-depth information about survival and bowel cancer, go to our Cancer Statistics section.
Last reviewed: 25 Nov 2024
Next review due: 25 Nov 2027
The stage of a cancer tells you how far it has grown through the bowel wall and whether it has spread to nearby lymph nodes or other organs. It helps your doctor to know which treatment you need.
Treatment depends on whether you have colon or rectal cancer, as well as your cancer stage. You might have surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy or a combination of these.
The aim of treatment for metastatic bowel cancer is usually to reduce symptoms, make you feel better and sometimes help you live longer.
Bowel cancer is also called colorectal cancer. It affects the large bowel, which is made up of the colon and rectum.
Bowel cancer means cancer that starts in the colon (large bowel) or back passage (rectum). It is also known as colorectal cancer.
About Cancer generously supported by Dangoor Education since 2010. Learn more about Dangoor Education
Search our clinical trials database for all cancer trials and studies recruiting in the UK.
Meet and chat to other cancer people affected by cancer.
Questions about cancer? Call freephone 0808 800 40 40 from 9 to 5 - Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can email us.
