One-year net survival among head and neck cancer subtypes is highest in salivary glands cancer and lowest in hypopharyngeal cancer. For all head and neck cancer subtypes, one-year survival falls between 1 and 5 years after diagnosis, though the gradient of the fall varies between subtypes. For most head and neck cancer subtypes, one-year survival falls between 5 and 10 years after diagnosis.
Hypopharyngeal Cancer
60% of men survive hypopharyngeal cancer for at least one year, and this is predicted to fall to 27% surviving for five years or more, as shown by net survival for patients diagnosed with hypopharyngeal cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1] Survival for women is similar with 61% surviving for one year or more, and 30% predicted to survive for at least five years.
Hypopharyngeal Cancer (C12, C13) Age-Standardised One-, Five- and Ten-Year Net Survival, Adults (Aged 15-90), England, 2009-2013
Ad Hoc Sex | 1-Year Survival (%) | 5-Year Survival (%) | 10-Year Survival (%) | |
Men | Net Survival | 60.4 | 27.2 | 17.9 |
95% LCL | 57.9 | 24.7 | 15.3 | |
95% UCL | 62.8 | 29.7 | 20.8 | |
Women | Net Survival | 60.7 | 30.2 | 23.3 |
95% LCL | 56.3 | 25.7 | 18.5 | |
95% UCL | 64.8 | 34.8 | 28.5 | |
Adults | Net Survival | 60.5 | 27.8 | 19.1 |
95% LCL | 58.3 | 25.7 | 16.7 | |
95% UCL | 62.6 | 30.1 | 21.6 |

In men, hypopharyngeal cancer survival continues to fall beyond five years after diagnosis. In women, hypopharyngeal cancer survival is similar at five and ten years after diagnosis. 18% of men and 23% of women are predicted to survive their disease for ten years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for patients diagnosed with hypopharyngeal cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1]
Laryngeal Cancer
85% of men survive laryngeal cancer for at least one year, and this is predicted to fall to 65% surviving for five years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for patients diagnosed with laryngeal cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1] Survival for women is not available due to the low number of cases.
Laryngeal Cancer (C32) Age-Standardised One-, Five- and Ten-Year Net Survival, Men (Aged 15-90), England, 2009-2013
Ad Hoc Sex | 1-Year Survival (%) | 5-Year Survival (%) | 10-Year Survival (%) | |
Men | Net Survival | 85.3 | 65.4 | 54.7 |
95% LCL | 84.3 | 64.0 | 52.7 | |
95% UCL | 86.1 | 66.8 | 56.7 |
Laryngeal cancer survival continues to fall beyond five years after diagnosis. 55% of men are predicted to survive their disease for ten years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for men diagnosed with laryngeal cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1]
Survival for laryngeal cancer is reported in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales[2,3,4] though it is difficult to make survival comparisons between countries due to different methodologies and criteria for including patients in analyses.
Oral Cavity Cancer
78% of men survive oral cavity cancer for at least one year, and this is predicted to fall to 54% surviving for five years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for patients diagnosed with oral cavity cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1] Survival for women is similar to men one year after diagnosis with 79% surviving for one year or more and higher than men at five years after diagnosis with 60% predicted to survive for at least five years.
Oral Cavity Cancer (C03, C04, C05, C06) Age-Standardised One-, Five- and Ten-Year Net Survival, Adults (Aged 15-90), England, 2009-2013
Ad Hoc Sex | 1-Year Survival (%) | 5-Year Survival (%) | 10-Year Survival (%) | |
Men | Net Survival | 77.8 | 53.5 | 42.2 |
95% LCL | 76.5 | 51.7 | 39.8 | |
95% UCL | 79.0 | 55.2 | 44.6 | |
Women | Net Survival | 79.2 | 59.8 | 49.6 |
95% LCL | 77.6 | 57.7 | 46.6 | |
95% UCL | 80.7 | 61.9 | 52.5 | |
Adults | Net Survival | 78.4 | 56.1 | 45.2 |
95% LCL | 77.4 | 54.7 | 43.4 | |
95% UCL | 79.3 | 57.4 | 47.1 |
Oral cavity cancer survival continues to fall beyond five years after diagnosis. 42% of men and 50% of women are predicted to survive their disease for ten years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for patients diagnosed with oral cavity cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1]
Survival for oral cavity cancer is reported in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales[2,3,4] though it is difficult to make survival comparisons between countries due to different methodologies and criteria for including patients in analyses.
Oropharyngeal Cancer
84% of men survive oropharyngeal cancer for at least one year, and this is predicted to fall to 66% surviving for five years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1] Survival for women is similar with 84% surviving for one year or more, and 66% predicted to survive for at least five years.
Oropharyngeal Cancer (C09, C10, C02.4) Age-Standardised One-, Five- and Ten-Year Net Survival, Adults (Aged 15-90), England, 2009-2013
Ad Hoc Sex | 1-Year Survival (%) | 5-Year Survival (%) | 10-Year Survival (%) | |
Men | Net Survival | 83.8 | 65.5 | 57.0 |
95% LCL | 82.6 | 63.8 | 54.7 | |
95% UCL | 84.8 | 67.1 | 59.3 | |
Women | Net Survival | 83.6 | 66.0 | 59.4 |
95% LCL | 81.6 | 63.1 | 55.6 | |
95% UCL | 85.3 | 68.7 | 63.0 | |
Adults | Net Survival | 83.7 | 65.6 | 57.7 |
95% LCL | 82.7 | 64.2 | 55.7 | |
95% UCL | 84.6 | 67.0 | 59.6 |
Oropharyngeal cancer survival continues to fall beyond five years after diagnosis. 57% of men and 59% of women are predicted to survive their disease for ten years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1]
Survival for oropharyngeal cancer is reported in Wales[4] though it is difficult to make survival comparisons between countries due to different methodologies and criteria for including patients in analyses.
Salivary Glands Cancer
83% of men survive salivary glands cancer for at least one year, and this is predicted to fall to 58% surviving for five years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for patients diagnosed with salivary glands cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1] Survival for women is higher with 90% surviving for one year or more, and 78% predicted to survive for at least five years.
Salivary Glands Cancer (C07, C08) Age-Standardised One-, Five- and Ten-Year Net Survival, Adults (Aged 15-90), England, 2009-2013
Ad Hoc Sex | 1-Year Survival (%) | 5-Year Survival (%) | 10-Year Survival (%) | |
Men | Net Survival | 82.5 | 58.3 | 50.7 |
95% LCL | 80.2 | 55.1 | 45.8 | |
95% UCL | 84.5 | 61.4 | 55.5 | |
Women | Net Survival | 89.8 | 77.8 | 70.3 |
95% LCL | 87.8 | 74.6 | 64.9 | |
95% UCL | 91.5 | 80.6 | 75.2 | |
Adults | Net Survival | 85.8 | 67.0 | 59.3 |
95% LCL | 84.3 | 64.6 | 55.6 | |
95% UCL | 87.2 | 69.2 | 62.8 |
Salivary glands cancer survival is similar at five and ten years after diagnosis. 51% of men and 70% of women are predicted to survive their disease for ten years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for patients diagnosed with salivary glands cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1]
Sinus Cancer
73% of men survive sinus cancer for at least one year, and this is predicted to fall to 50% surviving for five years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for patients diagnosed with sinus cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1] Survival for women is similar with 78% surviving for one year or more, and 53% predicted to survive for at least five years.
Sinus Cancer (C30, C31) Age-Standardised One-, Five- and Ten-Year Net Survival, Adults (Aged 15-90), England, 2009-2013
Ad Hoc Sex | 1-Year Survival (%) | 5-Year Survival (%) | 10-Year Survival (%) | |
Men | Net Survival | 73.0 | 50.3 | 42.5 |
95% LCL | 70.2 | 46.7 | 37.7 | |
95% UCL | 75.6 | 53.7 | 47.3 | |
Women | Net Survival | 77.5 | 53.2 | 42.5 |
95% LCL | 74.2 | 48.9 | 37.3 | |
95% UCL | 80.4 | 57.2 | 47.5 | |
Adults | Net Survival | 74.8 | 51.4 | 42.6 |
95% LCL | 72.7 | 48.7 | 39.1 | |
95% UCL | 76.8 | 54.1 | 46.1 |
In men, sinus cancer survival is similar at five and ten years after diagnosis. In women, sinus cancer continues to fall beyond 5 years. 43% of men and 43% of women are predicted to survive their disease for ten years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for patients diagnosed with sinus cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1]
Tongue Cancer
80% of men survive tongue cancer for at least one year, and this is predicted to fall to 60% surviving for five years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for patients diagnosed with tongue cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1] Survival for women is similar with 81% surviving for one year or more, and 62% predicted to survive for at least five years.
Tongue Cancer (C01, C02 excluding C02.4) Age-Standardised One-, Five- and Ten-Year Net Survival, Adults (Aged 15-90), England, 2009-2013
Ad Hoc Sex | 1-Year Survival (%) | 5-Year Survival (%) | 10-Year Survival (%) | |
Men | Net Survival | 80.2 | 59.6 | 49.8 |
95% LCL | 79.0 | 58.0 | 47.5 | |
95% UCL | 81.3 | 61.2 | 52.1 | |
Women | Net Survival | 81.3 | 61.8 | 53.6 |
95% LCL | 79.7 | 59.6 | 50.4 | |
95% UCL | 82.8 | 63.9 | 56.6 | |
Adults | Net Survival | 80.6 | 60.3 | 51.2 |
95% LCL | 79.7 | 59.0 | 49.3 | |
95% UCL | 81.4 | 61.6 | 53.0 |
Tongue cancer survival continues to fall beyond five years after diagnosis. 50% of men and 54% of women are predicted to survive their disease for ten years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for patients diagnosed with tongue cancer during 2009-2013 in England.[1]
References
- Muller P, Belot A, Morris M, Rachet B, Cancer Research UK Cancer Survival Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Net survival and the probability of cancer death from rare cancers. Available from http://csg.lshtm.ac.uk/rare-cancers/. Accessed July 2016.
- ISD Scotland. Trends in Cancer Survival 1983-2007.
- Northern Ireland Cancer Registry. Incidence & Survival 1993-2012.
- Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit. Cancer in Wales: 2001-2004.
About this data
Data is for England, 2009-2013, ICD-O-3 C12, C13 (Hypopharyngeal Cancer), C32 (Laryngeal Cancer), C03, C04, C05, C06 (Oral Cavity Cancer), C09, C10, C02.4 (Oropharyngeal Cancer), C07, C08 (Salivary Glands Cancer), C30, C31 (Sinus Cancer), C01, C02 excluding C02.4 (Tongue Cancer)