Thyroid Cancer Prognosis

Overview  |  Types  |  Causes  |  Symptoms  |  Diagnosis  |  Treatment  |  Prognosis/Outcomes

What Is The Thyroid Cancer Survival Rate?

For people with differentiated thyroid cancer (i.e. papillary thyroid cancer, follicular thyroid cancer, and Hurthle cell thyroid cancer), age is the most important prognostic factor. If a patient is younger than 45, they are considered a Stage II (learn more about Thyroid Cancer Stages) and have an excellent prognosis (even if the cancer has spread to other organs).

For people with medullary thyroid cancer, age is not as important a predictor of outcome. In general, those with medullary thyroid cancer that has not spread beyond the thyroid (T1-3), have a 95% 10-year survival. Patients with medullary thyroid cancer that has spread to the neck lymph nodes (N1) have a 10-year survival of 75%. For those patients with metastatic medullary thyroid cancer, the 10-year survival is 20 to 40%

For people with anaplastic thyroid cancer, the 5-year relative survival rate is around 5%.

Next Steps

If you are dealing with a thyroid issue, our team at the Columbia Thyroid Center is here to help. Call (212) 305-0444 or request an appointment online.

To keep learning about Thyroid Cancer: Overview | Types | Causes | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Prognosis/Outcomes