What Is the Prognosis for Colorectal Cancer?

The prognosis for colorectal cancer will generally depend upon several factors, the most important of which may be how far the disease has advanced at the time of diagnosis. There are several stages to this disease and if the patient is in the most advanced stage, his prognosis will generally be more grim than an individual who has discovered the cancer at the earliest stage. Prognosis for colorectal cancer will also be influenced by other serious medical conditions the patient has. Age may also play a key factor in the prognosis for colorectal cancer. A favorable prognosis for a patient with this type of cancer is most likely if the patient responds well to treatment.

Taking into consideration that prognosis for colorectal cancer will vary from patient to patient, the average survival rate is approximately five years. Medical and scientific studies have also shown that white males are likely to have a more positive prognosis and higher rate of survival for colon cancer than white females. Black males have a higher rate of survival from colorectal cancer than black females.

When the colon cancer has not metastasized to any other area of the body, prognosis for colorectal cancer improves dramatically. Studies have shown that more than 90 percent of patients who fall into this category will survive past five years. When the cancer is no longer localized and has affected another location, however, the survival rate decreases.

Elderly patients in poor health will have a significantly less favorable prognosis for colorectal cancer than a young individual with no pre-existing health issues. For example, a patient diagnosed with cancer of the colon at age 75, who has other medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or heart disease may not be expected to survive more than six months to a year, compared to a prognosis delivered to a 25-year-old patient with colon cancer. The exception being, if the 25-year-old patient has stage-four of colon cancer and is not responding to treatment.

If the tumor of the colon is small enough to be removed surgically and the individual responds well to the procedure, his odds of recovery are high. When a tumor is extremely large, or numerous tumors have developed in the colon, this will have a major impact on prognosis. This is due to the difficulty in removing the entire cancerous mass.

If left untreated, the prognosis for colorectal cancer will be more bleak. Individuals who receive specialized care for colorectal cancer are likely to suffer from complications of the disease. Extreme weight loss and malnutrition, as well as life-threatening infections may significantly affect the prognosis for colorectal cancer.