The prognosis (predicted outlook or chance of survival) of throat cancers depends on the cancer’s stage and grade. The stage indicates the extent of the cancer, or how widespread it is in the body. The grade measures how abnormal the cells look under a microscope. The grading and staging systems are combined into another system that allows the physician to discuss the pathology in plain terms.

Sometimes, additional letters will follow the initial pathology such as “Tm,” which indicates the presence of multiple cancers or “Tis,” which indicates that the cancer is superficial (carcinoma in situ) and has not invaded surrounding tissues. For more information, please see Stages of Cancer.

Stages vary depending on the type of throat cancer:

• Oropharyngeal cancer 
  
  
• • Stage 0: No evidence of tumor.
    
    
  • Stage I: Tumor 2 cm (about ¾ inch) or smaller.
    
    
  • Stage II: Tumor larger than 2 cm, but smaller than 4 cm (about 1.5 inches).
    
    
  • Stage III: Tumor larger than 4 cm.
    
    
  • Stage IV: Tumor of any size that invades adjacent structures (such as bone, connective or muscle tissue of the neck, deep muscle of the tongue, skin, sinuses, or the larynx).
    
    
• Nasopharyngeal cancer
  
  
  • Stage 0: No evidence of tumor.
    
    
  • Stage I: Tumor is limited to the nasopharynx.
    
    
  • Stage II: Tumor has spread to tissues (but not bone) outside the nasopharynx. Cancer has spread to the oropharynx (the back of the mouth, below the soft palate, where the throat begins) and/or nasal cavity but no further; or, cancer has also spread to the left or right sides of the upper part of the throat.
    
    
  • Stage III: Tumor has spread to the sinuses or the bones near the nasopharynx.
    
    
  • Stage IV: Tumor has spread into the skull and/or cranial nerves (nerves in the head that lie near the nasopharynx and have special functions such as vision, smell, and eye movement), the hypopharynx (lower part of the throat), the eye or its nearby tissues.
    
    
• Laryngeal cancer – Supraglottic
  
  
  • Stage 0: No evidence of tumor.
    
    
  • Stage I: The tumor is limited to 1 subsite of the supraglottis, and the vocal cords move normally.
    
    
  • Stage II: The tumor invades more than 1 subsite of the supraglottis; the vocal cords move normally.
    
    
  • Stage III: The tumor is limited to the larynx, and the vocal cords do not move and/or invasion of the postcricoid area, paraglottic space, or pre-epiglottic (in front of the epiglottis) tissues.
    
    
  • Stage IV: The tumor invades through thyroid cartilage (firm tissue that separates the thyroid gland from the front of the larynx) and/or extends to tissues beyond the larynx. The tumor invades prevertebral (in front of the cervical spine) space, is growing around a carotid artery, or is growing down into the front of the chest cavity.
    
    
• Laryngeal cancer – Glottic
  
  
  • Stage 0: No evidence of tumor
    
    
  • Stage I: The tumor is limited to the vocal cord(s); the vocal cords move normally. The tumor is either limited to one vocal cord or appears on both.
    
    
  • Stage II: The tumor is growing into the supraglottis and/or subglottis, and/or the vocal cords move only a little.
    
    
  • Stage III: The tumor is limited to the larynx and the vocal cords do not move and/or the tumor invades the paraglottic space, and/or there is minor erosion of thyroid cartilage (firm tissue that separates the thyroid gland from the front of the larynx).
    
    
  • Stage IV: The tumor invades through thyroid cartilage and/or extends to tissues beyond the larynx. The tumor invades prevertebral space (in front of the cervical spine), surrounds a carotid artery, or is growing down into the front of the chest cavity.
    
    
• Laryngeal cancer – Subglottic
  
  
  • Stage 0: No evidence of tumor.
    
    
  • Stage I: The tumor is limited to the subglottis.
    
    
  • Stage II: The tumor extends to the vocal cords, with normal or reduced vocal cord movement.
    
    
  • Stage III: The tumor is limited to the larynx; the vocal cords do not move.
    
    
  • Stage IV: The tumor invades through the cricoid or thyroid cartilage and/or extends to tissues beyond the larynx. The tumor invades prevertebral space (in front of the cervical spine), surrounds a carotid artery, or is growing down into the front of the chest cavity.
    
    
• Hypopharyngeal cancer
  
  
  • Stage 0: No evidence of tumor.
    
    
  • Stage I: The tumor is limited to 1 subsite of the hypopharynx and is smaller than 2 centimeters (about 3/4 of an inch) in diameter.
    
    
  • Stage II: The tumor involves more than 1 subsite of the hypopharynx or an adjacent site or is 2 to 4 cm in size, and does not affect the vocal cords.
    
    
  • Stage III: The tumor is larger than 4 cm in diameter or is affecting the vocal cords.
    
    
  • Stage IV: The tumor invades the cricoid or thyroid cartilage, hyoid bone, thyroid gland, esophagus, or the strap muscles in front of the larynx. The tumor invades the space in front of the cervical spine, is growing around a carotid artery, or is growing down into the front of the chest cavity.