Colon cancer survival rates
Medical review by Mayo Clinic Staff
Updated: April 14, 2025
The chance of surviving early-stage colon cancer is quite good for most people. As cancer spreads beyond the colon, the chances get lower.
Survival statistics
To understand colon cancer survival rates, experts study many people being treated for colon cancer and then report how many are living five or 10 years after their diagnosis. Many people expect these colon cancer survival rates to be reported by numbered stages, from 0 to 4, but the U.S. National Cancer Institute reports survival rates by how far the cancer has spread. This is called summary staging, and the categories include localized, regional and distant colon cancer.
Localized cancer
Localized colon cancer remains in the colon and has not spread to nearby tissues, lymph nodes or other parts of the body. Localized colon cancer is considered early-stage cancer and includes stages 0, 1 and most stage 2 colon cancers.
Survival rate for people with localized colon cancer
The 5-year survival rate for people under age 50 being treated for localized colon cancer is 95.8%. The 10-year survival rate for people under age 50 being treated for localized colon cancer is 92.5%. The 5-year survival rate for people age 50 and older being treated for localized colon cancer is 91.3%. The 10-year survival rate for people age 50 and older being treated for localized colon cancer is 85.9%.
Regional cancer
Regional colon cancer has spread outside the colon and rectum to nearby tissues, including lymph nodes. Regional colon cancer includes some stage 2 colon cancers and stage 3 cancer.
Survival rate for people with regional colon cancer
The 5-year survival rate for people under age 50 being treated for regional colon cancer is 80.1%. The 10-year survival rate for people under age 50 being treated for regional colon cancer is 72.0%. The 5-year survival rate for people age 50 and older being treated for regional colon cancer is 72.3%. The 10-year survival rate for people age 50 and older being treated for regional colon cancer is 63.8%.
Distant cancer
Distant colon cancer has spread to other parts of the body. The liver is the most common site. It also may spread to the lungs, distant lymph nodes, brain or the inner lining of the abdomen, called the peritoneum. Distant colon cancer includes stage 4 cancer. Stage 4 also is called metastatic, late-stage or end-stage cancer.
Survival rate for people with distant colon cancer
The 5-year survival rate for people under age 50 being treated for distant colon cancer is 22.1%. The 10-year survival rate for people under age 50 being treated for distant colon cancer is 14.9%. The 5-year survival rate for people age 50 and older being treated for distant colon cancer is 13.6%. The 10-year survival rate for people age 50 and older being treated for distant colon cancer is 8.7%.
These survival rates are specific to people in the U.S. and may not be the same in other countries. For the most accurate information, ask your healthcare team for survival rates in your home country.
What you can do
Cancer survival rates might seem scary, but they vary widely. And the rates don’t tell the whole story for each person. While there may be many things about your colon cancer that you can’t change, you are not powerless. There are many things you can do that may influence your outcome. By adopting a proactive approach, you can actively contribute to your well-being and possibly make a big difference in your personal prognosis.
Some factors you can’t control include:
- Stage at diagnosis. Typically, the earlier that cancer is caught, the better the outcomes will be.
- Age. Older age at diagnosis is linked to lower survival rates.
- Genetic factors. Family history and having certain genetic variants can influence survival.
- Tumor location and size. Advanced cancers that start on the right side of the colon tend to have a worse outlook than those that start on the left side. Also, larger tumors may be more difficult to remove completely through surgery. They also have a higher risk of spreading to other parts of the body.
- Type of cancer cells. Some cancer cells tend to grow and spread more quickly. These are known as poorly differentiated or high-grade cancers.
Factors you can control include healthy habits, such as:
- Physical activity. Physically active people with colon cancer reported improved survival rates compared with people who reported no activity. Being active also may help relieve cancer symptoms and treatment side effects. Talk with your healthcare team about the best activity level for your situation.
- Nutrition. According to the American Cancer Society, eating a diet rich in plant-based foods and fiber and avoiding processed foods and sugars may improve health outcomes.
- Smoking. Smoking is strongly associated with worse survival in all stages of colon cancer. If you smoke, ask your care team about strategies to help you quit.
- Obesity. Excess body weight may lower colon cancer survival rates by increasing inflammation and insulin resistance, which may fuel tumor growth and complicate recovery. Studies suggest that excess body fat is linked to a higher risk of recurrence and poorer outcomes after treatment.
For the best results, talk with your healthcare team before changing your health habits, especially during treatment. Your care team can start you on the right track and help you along the way.
Survival rates are improving
Keep in mind that survival statistics take five years to collect. The most recent survival rates include people who had colon cancer treatment more than five years ago. These people may not have had access to the latest treatments. Over the last few decades, advances in diagnosis and treatment have continued to steadily improve survival rates and quality of life for people with colon cancer. Ongoing developments in targeted therapies, immunotherapy and personalized medicine signal the potential for even stronger results moving forward.
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Mayo Clinic’s approach to colon cancer prognosis
For many people, colon cancer can be cured. Even though survival rates can be different, there are more and more treatment options, even for the most advanced stages of colon cancer. At Mayo Clinic, we see a lot of patients with colon cancer, so we have a lot of experience treating it at all stages. We want to give you the best treatment plan for your needs, even if you have been told your cancer cannot be treated.
Our goal at Mayo Clinic is to help improve survival rates for everyone with colon cancer. That’s why we keep researching the disease, finding ways to detect it early, and learning why some groups of people are at higher risk for serious and advanced disease.
You can also contact our helpful scheduling teams by calling:
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