Understanding Prognosis

When you are diagnosed with cancer, you may have questions about how serious the cancer is. Doctors use the term “prognosis” to describe the chance of cure, and if it is not curable how quickly the tumour may grow and how long you may live.

It is important to discuss head and neck cancer prognosis with the doctor. Although the type, location and stage of cancer may allow an estimate of the prognosis, there are many other factors that influence this and every individual is different. Because of this no doctor can give you a completely accurate prediction about the course of your illness.

Typically, if a head and neck cancer is going to recur it does so within the first few years after treatment, but this is not always the case. The cancer care team usually continues close follow-up for at least 5 years, at which time many cancers are considered to be cured.