What Is the Prognosis for Spleen Cancer?
The prognosis for spleen cancer is dependant on what type of spleen cancer a person has, according to Healthgrades. For instance, most spleen cancers do not start in the spleen and those that do may be either lymphomas or leukemia. Some lymphomas or types of leukemia grow fairly slowly.
One type of cancer that can affect the spleen, follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma, divides prognosis into three groups: low risk, intermediate risk and high risk, explains American Cancer Society. These groups are arranged according to prognostic factors such as age, stage, lymph nodes affected, blood hemoglobin and serum LDH. Low risk prognosis has a five-year survival rate of 91 percent. Intermediate risk prognosis has a five-year survival rate of 78 percent. High risk survival prognosis has a five-year survival rate of 53 percent.
The spleen, which is part of the lymph system, can also be affected by cancers such as lung or colon cancers that can spread or metastasize to the lymph system, according to American Cancer Society. These types of cancers are not lymphomas. Stomach, pancreatic and liver cancer can also spread to the spleen, although it isn't common, states Healthgrades. Treatment for spleen cancer is dependant on what part of the body the cancer starts in and how advanced it is.
