Prognosis of bowel cancer

The prognosis for bowel cancer is better the earlier the disease is detected and treated. 90% of patients are alive after five years if the cancer is detected when it is limited to the bowel wall. In addition to the spread of the tumor, the prognosis is affected by the patient’s age, general condition, complications caused by the tumor, and the degree of differentiation of the tumor.

Read more about prognosis in Finnish

In short

  • The prognosis for bowel cancer is better if the disease is detected and treated early.
  • Approximately 90% of patients are alive after five years if the cancer is confined to the bowel wall at the time of diagnosis.
  • The prognosis is affected by the extent of the tumour, as well as the patient’s age, general condition and tumour characteristics.
  • Improvements in surgical techniques and new drug treatments have significantly improved treatment outcomes.
  • The cancer usually recurs within 2–3 years of surgery, and recurrences after five years are rare.