Survival rates for Hodgkin disease by stage
Survival rates are often used by doctors as a standard way of discussing a person’s prognosis (outlook). Some people with Hodgkin disease may want to know the survival statistics for people in similar situations, while others may not find the numbers helpful, or might even not want to know them. If you do not want to see Hodgkin disease survival statistics, skip to the next section.
The rates below are based on the stage of the cancer when it is first diagnosed. When looking at survival rates, it’s important to understand that the stage of a cancer does not change over time, even if the cancer progresses. If a cancer comes back or spreads, the survival rates may be different from those shown below.
The 5-year survival rate is the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed. Of course, many of these people live much longer than 5 years, and many are cured.
The numbers below are among the most current available. But to get 5-year survival rates, doctors have to look at people who were treated at least 5 years ago. Improvements in treatment since then might result in a better outlook for people now being diagnosed with these cancers.
The numbers below come from the National Cancer Institute’s SEER database, looking at more than 8,000 people diagnosed with Hodgkin disease between 1988 and 2001.
5-year Survival Rate
Survival rates are based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had the disease, but they can’t predict what will happen with any particular person. Many other factors could affect a person’s outlook, such as age and general health, how well the cancer responds to treatment, and other factors (see below). Your doctor can tell you how the numbers above might apply to you, as he or she knows your situation best.
Other prognostic factors
Along with the stage of the Hodgkin disease, other factors can affect a person’s prognosis (outlook). For example, some factors mean the disease is likely to be more serious and might prompt the doctor to give more intensive treatment:
- Having B symptoms or bulky disease
- Being older than 45
- Being male
- Having a high white blood cell count (above 15,000)
- Having a low red blood cell count (hemoglobin level below 10.5)
- Having a low blood lymphocyte count (below 600)
- Having a low blood albumin level (below 4)
- Having a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, or ESR (over 30 in someone with B symptoms, or over 50 for someone without B symptoms)
Last Medical Review: 07/10/2014
Last Revised: 03/04/2015