Colon cancer prognosis depends greatly on the stage of the tumor at diagnosis. In general, when the cancer is detected early, you have more chance to survive. If your colon cancer is diagnosed at stage 1, your 5-year survival rate can be 90%.
According to the National Cancer institute (NCI), the overall 5-year relative survival rate for 1999-2005 was 65.2%. However, survival rates tend to vary by race and sex:
- 66.3% for white men
- 65.9% for white women
- 56.7% for black women
- 55.5% for black men.
Death Rates by age
From 2002-2006, the median age at death for cancer of the colon and rectum in the US was 75 years of age:
- 0.0% died under age 20
- 0.6% between 20 and 34
- 2.4% between 35 and 44
- 8.0% between 45 and 54
- 15.2% between 55 and 64
- 22.6% between 65 and 74
- 30.8% between 75 and 84
- 20.4% 85+ years of age.
Death Rates by Race
The age-adjusted death rate was 18.2 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates are based on patients who died in 2002-2006 in the US.
| Race/Ethnicity | Male | Female |
| White | 21.4 per 100,000 | 14.9 per 100,000 |
| Black | 31.4 per 100,000 | 21.6 per 100,000 |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 13.8 per 100,000 | 10.0 per 100,000 |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 20.0 per 100,000 | 13.7 per 100,000 |
| Hispanic | 16.1 per 100,000 | 10.7 per 100,000 |
| All Races | 21.9 per 100,000 | 15.4 per 100,000 |