Nasopharyngeal 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.
Some of the statistics have to be based on a small number of people. Because this cancer is less common, survival is harder to estimate than for other, more common cancers. Remember, they can't tell you what will happen in your individual case.
There are no UK wide statistics available for nasopharyngeal cancer survival by stage.
The statistics below come from America. They come from the National Cancer Institute's SEER programme. They are for people diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer between 2012 and 2018.
Please be aware that these figures might not be a true picture of survival in the UK. This is due to differences in the American health care systems, data collection and the population.
The American statistics are split into 3 stage groups – localised, regional and distant cancers. In the UK, your doctor might not use these terms. Instead, they might describe your cancer as a number stage (stage 1 to 4). The following descriptions are a guide to help you understand whether your cancer is localised, regional or distant. This isn’t straight forward and will depend on your individual situation. Talk to your specialist if you are unsure which group you are in.
There are 3 groups:
Localised cancers are early stage cancers that have not spread beyond the nasopharynx or into nearby .
Regional cancers have either spread into nearby lymph nodes. Or there is advanced local spread into nearby structures (for example T4 tumours).
Distant cancers have spread to other parts of the body, away from the nasopharynx.
More than 80 out of 100 people (more than 80%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
More than 70 out of 100 people (more than 70%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
Around 50 out of 100 people (around 50%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more after diagnosis.
Read more about stages of nasopharyngeal cancer
The figures come from NHS Digital using the Get Data Out programme. The statistics are from 2015 to 2017.
5 year survival statistics are not available, so we present 4 year survival statistics below.
Generally for people with nasopharyngeal cancer in England:
75 out of 100 people (75%) will survive their cancer for 1 year after diagnosis
almost 60 out of 100 people (almost 60%) will survive their cancer for 4 years after they are diagnosed
Your outlook (prognosis) depends on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed. This means how big it is and whether it has spread. The type of cancer can also affect your likely survival.
Your general health and fitness also affect survival because overall, the fitter you are, the better you may be able to cope with your cancer and treatment.
Survival depends on different factors. So no one can tell you exactly how long you will live.
Last reviewed: 16 May 2024
Next review due: 16 May 2027
The nasopharynx connects the back of your nose to the back of your mouth. Cancer that develops in the nasopharynx is called nasopharyngeal cancer.
Anything that can increase your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Nasopharyngeal cancer is rare in the UK. Smoking certain substances and a history of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are examples of the risks and causes of nasopharyngeal cancer.
You usually have radiotherapy as part of your treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer. You might also have other treatments, such as chemotherapy.
Researchers are continually looking to improve testing for nasopharyngeal cancer, and find better treatments with fewer side effects. Find out about some of this research and how you can take part in a clinical trial.
A lot of practical and emotional support is available to you. This section covers information on coping, diet, sex, hearing loss and changes to eyesight, and provides details of other organisations for support.
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