Squamous-cell Carcinoma - Prognosis

Prognosis

The long-term outcome of Squamous-cell carinomas is dependent primarily upon several factors: the sub-type of the carcinoma, available treatments, location(s) and severity, and various patient health related variables (accompanying diseases, age, etc.). Generally, the long-term outcome is positive, as less than 4% of Squamous-cell carcinoma cases are at risk of metastasis (and hence life-threatening). Some particular forms of squamous-cell carcinomas have a higher, though still positive long-term outcome. One study found squamous-cell carcinoma of the penis had a much greater rate of morbidity than some other forms of squamous-cell carcinoma, at a rate of 23%, though relatively high morbidity rate may be associated with possibly latent diagnosis of the disease due to patients avoiding genital exams until the symptoms are debilitating, or a refusal on the part of the patient to submit to a possibly scarring operation upon their genitalia.

Squamous-cell carcinomas of the head and neck have been found to have a greater risk of metastatis to the lymphatic system, and hence possibly reducing treatment efficacy.

Carcinomas of the esophagus was found in one study to have a mean 58% rate of metastasis to local lymph nodes, with the number of lymph nodes compromised decreasing the survival rate. On average, the study found that in cases of lymphatic metastatis, the mean 5-year survival rate was 49.5%, with a negative decrease for every lymph node compromised.