Cancer of unknown primary (CUP)
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.
There are no UK-wide survival statistics for CUP.
1 and 5 year survival statistics are available for both Northern Ireland and Wales. These figures are for people diagnosed with CUP in Northern Ireland between 2012-2016, and in Wales between 2014-2018.
Generally for all those with CUP:
almost 25 out of 100 people (almost 25%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more
around 15 out of 100 people (around 15%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more
Your outlook depends on several factors. It is best to talk to your own specialist. They should be able to give you a broad idea about your outlook. Even then, it is very difficult for your specialist to be accurate.
There are some factors that might mean that people with cancer of unknown primary (CUP) have a better outlook. This is in comparison with people with CUP who don’t have these factors. These factors help your doctor decide what treatment is best for you. They include having:
cancer cells in the lymph nodes in your neck. This suggests that the primary cancer is a head and neck squamous cell cancer
cancer cells in the lymph nodes in the armpit (axilla). This might mean that the primary cancer is in the breast
cancer spread in just one area or organ of your body. For example, having one tumour in the liver or lungs
Other factors that affect your outlook include:
how well your cancer responds to the treatment
how widespread your cancer is
your general health and level of fitness
You can read other statistics about cancer of unknown primary in our Cancer Statistics section.
Get more detailed statistics about cancer of unknown primary
Last reviewed: 01 Oct 2024
Next review due: 01 Oct 2027
Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) means that cancer spread (secondary cancer) has been found in your body, but doctors don't know where the cancer started (the primary tumour).
Most people are diagnosed with CUP after they become unwell and go to A&E. Others start by seeing their GP. Find out what to expect when you see a GP and the tests you might have.
There is no staging system for cancer of unknown primary (CUP). Doctors can group CUP by the type of cell the cancer started in.
Treatment for CUP depends on a number of things, including where the cancer is and your general health. You might have a targeted cancer drug or chemotherapy. Sometimes you may have surgery or radiotherapy to help control your symptoms.
Advice and support is available to help you cope with cancer of unknown primary (CUP) and its treatment.
Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) means that cancer spread has been found somewhere in your body (secondary cancer) but your doctors can't find where the cancer started (the primary cancer).
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