Lip Cancer
Determining Your Prognosis
Your prognosis is a prediction of the outcome of your disease. What is the risk of succumbing to the cancer or the risk of its coming back? These are the big questions on most people’s minds after receiving a diagnosis of oral cancer. In general, doctors know there are several characteristics of the tumor that can tell you something about your chances of being cured.
The following aspects of the cancer may affect your prognosis.
| Stage | This is the most important factor that affects your chances of being cured.18Pradhan SA, Rajpal RM. Marginal mandibulectomy in the management of squamous cancer of the oral cavity. Indian J Cancer. 1987;24:167-171. |
| Spread to Lymph Nodes | This goes along with stage, but even without other factors, if there is spread to lymph nodes in the neck, it’s a worse chance of cure, especially if there is evidence of growth of cancer outside of the lymph node.18Pradhan SA, Rajpal RM. Marginal mandibulectomy in the management of squamous cancer of the oral cavity. Indian J Cancer. 1987;24:167-171. |
| Tumor Margins | The ability to completely remove the tumor can be a very important factor that will indicate whether you will be cured or not.18, Pradhan SA, Rajpal RM. Marginal mandibulectomy in the management of squamous cancer of the oral cavity. Indian J Cancer. 1987;24:167-171.19Baker SR, Krause CJ. Carcinoma of the lip. Laryngoscope. 1980 Jan;90(1):19-27. |
| Poor Differentiation | The grade of lip cancer has been shown to be related to prognosis in some studies.14, Listl S, Jansen L, Stenzinger A, Freier K, Emrich K, et al. Survival of patients with oral cavity cancer in Germany. PLoS ONE.2013;8(1):e53415.20Maddox WA, Urist MM. Histopathological prognostic factors of certain primary oral cavity cancers. 1990 Dec;4(12):39-42; discussion 42,45-6. |
| Spread into Local Structures | Spread into large nerves, vessels, lymphatics or jawbones might make your prognosis worse.19, Baker SR, Krause CJ. Carcinoma of the lip. Laryngoscope. 1980 Jan;90(1):19-27.21Mccombe D, Macgill K, Ainslie J, Beresford J, Matthews J. Squamous cell carcinoma of the lip: a retrospective review of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute experience 1979-88. Aust N Z J Surg. 2000;70(5):358-61. |
| Cancer of the Upper Lip and Commissure | Cancers in this location often have worse outcomes than lower lip cancers.20Maddox WA, Urist MM. Histopathological prognostic factors of certain primary oral cavity cancers. 1990 Dec;4(12):39-42; discussion 42,45-6. |
| Recurrent Lip Cancer | If the cancer comes back after treatment, it typically signifies a more aggressive cancer.20Maddox WA, Urist MM. Histopathological prognostic factors of certain primary oral cavity cancers. 1990 Dec;4(12):39-42; discussion 42,45-6. |
It is very difficult to discuss prognosis without understanding all the details of your cancer, and this is a conversation you’re better off having in person with your doctor. To give you a percentage chance of cure is really difficult because cancer research looks at all sorts of different types of cancers and may include patients from long ago.
In general, for patients with cancer of the lip, studies have shown the following21Mccombe D, Macgill K, Ainslie J, Beresford J, Matthews J. Squamous cell carcinoma of the lip: a retrospective review of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute experience 1979-88. Aust N Z J Surg. 2000;70(5):358-61.:
| Estimated Disease-Specific Survival at Five Years | Estimated Disease-Specific Survival at Ten Years | |
| Lip Cancer | Lip Cancer | |
| Stage I | 96% | 90% |
| Stage II | 83% | 73% |
| Stage III | 57% | 56% |
| Stage IV | 48% | 40% |
Estimated Disease-Specific Survival is the percentage of people with a specific cancer who are alive at a given time point, such as five years after diagnosis. It excludes people who may have died from a disease other than their cancer. It is probably the best estimate we have in these large national databases as to the prognosis of a particular type of cancer at each stage.
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