As of: February 3, 2024, 8:24 a.m
By: Juliane Gutmann
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Whether cancer means death depends largely on the type and stage of the tumor.
The chances of survival are high in many cases these days - but not always.
“Survival rates are increasing.
More and more people are surviving their cancer permanently.
More and more people are able to live with cancer for a long time and with an acceptable quality of life,” says Dr.
Birgit Hiller from the Cancer Information Service of the German Cancer Research Center: “New medications have contributed primarily to this.”
Classic therapies such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation have also been greatly developed through research, says Hiller.
But despite all this, cancer is the second most common cause of death in Germany after cardiovascular diseases.
This is shown by figures from the Federal Statistical Office.
When looking at all types of cancer, according to the Robert Koch Institute, the absolute 5-year survival rate is currently 50 percent for men and 58 percent for women.
But there are big differences depending on the type of cancer.
The survival rate after breast or prostate cancer is very high.
Almost 90 percent of all breast cancer patients survive the first five years after their diagnosis, according to the German Cancer Research Center.
If prostate cancer is detected in the early stages, over 90 percent of those affected survive the first five years after diagnosis, according to the German Cancer Society.
50 to 58 percent of all people survive the first few years after a cancer diagnosis
But not all types of cancer are easily curable.
The Center for Cancer Registry Data at the Robert Koch Institute regularly publishes an overview of new cancer cases and cancer deaths in Germany.
In 2020, 231,400 women and 261,800 men were newly diagnosed with cancer.
104,949 women and 125,274 men did not survive cancer in 2020, the cancer registry figures show.
Thanks to medical advances, a cancer diagnosis no longer has to be a death sentence.
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Comparing the type of cancer and the death rate shows that certain types of cancer are deadlier than others.
The Center for Cancer Registry Data lists which types of cancer have the highest survival rates.
In order to make comparisons, the relative 5-year survival rate is used.
This shows the chances of survival of cancer patients in comparison with the general population of the same age and gender, according to the report “Cancer in Germany for 2019/2020”.
These are highly dependent on the type of tumor.
Below is a list of different types of cancer and their associated 5-year survival rates:
The lowest 5-year survival rates of 0 to 20 percent are found in malignant tumors of the pancreas, mesothelioma (a rare soft tissue tumor that affects the pleura or peritoneum) and liver cancer.
The 5-year survival rate increases to approximately 20 to 40 percent for cancers of the lung, central nervous system, and gallbladder and bile ducts.
The same applies to esophageal cancer and stomach cancer.
40 to 80 percent 5-year survival rates can be seen in the following cancers, among others: ovarian cancer, mouth cancer, tongue cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia, colon cancer, larynx cancer, anal cancer and kidney cancer.
The best chances of recovery and therefore the highest 5-year survival rates after a cancer diagnosis are 80 to 100 percent for the following cancers: testicular cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer and skin cancer.
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Source: Center for Cancer Registry Data, “Cancer in Germany” report for 2019/2020
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This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.