Jaw cancer

There isn't one survival rate for jaw cancer. Different cancers can affect the jaw. The outlook for each one can be very different. Survival also depends on factors such as where the cancer started, its stage, and whether it can be completely removed. It also depends on the unique situation of the person who has the cancer.

The survival rates for jaw cancers depend on:

• The type of cancer affecting the jaw.
• Where it started.
• Its stage and grade.
• Whether it has spread.
• Whether surgery can completely remove it.
• Other factors unique to each person.

Your care team can tell you which factors apply to you and what they may mean for your outlook.

Survival statistics

Squamous cell carcinoma involving the mouth. The outlook for this type of cancer varies by where the cancer started and its stage. Cancers found at an earlier stage generally have a better outlook than cancers found at a later stage. The outlook may be worse if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes or grown more deeply into nearby tissue.

Jaw sarcoma. One study found that about 67% of people with the most common type of jaw sarcoma, called jaw osteosarcoma, were still alive five years after diagnosis. In that same study, about 59% of people with jaw osteosarcoma were still alive 10 years after diagnosis. However, a single survival statistic shouldn't be used to describe every person with jaw osteosarcoma. The outlook also varies among different types of jaw sarcoma.

Malignant odontogenic tumors. There isn't one survival rate for these tumors. These cancers are very rare. The outlook varies by tumor type, whether the cancer has spread or come back, and some other factors. Because so few people have these cancers, survival estimates are based mainly on small studies and reports of individual cases.

What you can do

Ask your care team which survival statistics may be most useful in your situation. Many factors affect your outlook. These include the type and size of the cancer, its stage and grade, whether it has spread, and whether surgery was able to remove all of it.

Survival statistics describe groups of people treated in the past. They can't tell exactly what will happen to one person.