What's the Life Expectancy of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Skin Cancer? Prognosis and Survival Rates

A diagnosis of nonmelanoma skin cancer can bring up a big question right away: How could this affect your life expectancy?

For most people with common types of skin cancer, such as basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the prognosis (outlook) is very good. When found and treated early, these skin cancers often have survival rates higher than 95 percent.

In this article, we’ll look at survival statistics for BCC, SCC, Merkel cell carcinoma, and other rarer nonmelanoma skin cancers. We’ll also explain what these numbers can and can’t tell you about your own prognosis.

What Does Life Expectancy Mean?

Life expectancy is an estimate of how long a person may live after diagnosis. Survival rates are one way researchers describe this, but they can’t predict exactly what will happen for one person.

Many cancer statistics use a five-year relative survival rate. This measures how likely people with the same type and stage of cancer are to live at least five years after diagnosis, compared with people in the general population who don’t have that cancer.

For example, a five-year relative survival rate of 70 percent means a person with a type of cancer, on average, is about 70 percent as likely to live at least five years after diagnosis compared to someone without that type of cancer.

These numbers are based on large groups of people. They don’t include every factor that can affect a person’s outlook, such as:

• Age
• Overall health
• Immune system health
• Where the cancer is located
• How the cancer responds to treatment

Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma Combined Survival

The American Cancer Society notes that basal and squamous cell skin cancers are very common in the United States, but deaths from these cancers are rare. U.S. estimates suggest about 2,000 to 8,000 people die from basal and squamous cell skin cancers each year, most often from SCC.

People who may be more likely to have serious problems include older adults whose cancer is large by the time it’s diagnosed and people with weakened immune systems. This includes people who have had organ transplants and those being treated for autoimmune diseases.

Exact yearly numbers aren’t known because BCC and SCC aren’t tracked by cancer registries in the same way as many other cancers.

What Is the Survival Rate for Basal Cell Carcinoma?

BCC is the most common type of nonmelanoma skin cancer. In the U.S., about 8 out of 10 nonmelanoma skin cancers are BCCs.

The prognosis for BCC is usually excellent. The five-year survival rate for BCC is close to 100 percent because this cancer rarely spreads to other parts of the body.

BCC often grows slowly and can usually be treated successfully with procedures that remove the cancer. Still, it can come back after treatment. Having one BCC also raises the risk of developing another BCC or a different type of skin cancer later on.

It’s important not to ignore BCC. If it isn’t treated, it can grow deeper into nearby tissue — including muscle or bone in rare cases — which can cause significant damage.

What Is the Survival Rate for Squamous Cell Carcinoma?

SCC is the second most common type of skin cancer. It starts in keratinocytes, which are cells found in the epidermis (outer layer of the skin).

When SCC is found early, the five-year survival rate is 99 percent. This rate may be lower for people whose cancer is more advanced at diagnosis.

SCC is more likely than BCC to grow and spread, although SCC spread is still uncommon.

Some people may need staging, which means checking how far the cancer has advanced. This is especially important for people with risk factors, such as a weakened immune system.

What Is the Survival Rate for Merkel Cell Carcinoma?

Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare type of skin cancer. It can start anywhere on the body, but it’s most often found on sun-exposed skin, such as the face, neck, and arms. It may appear as a firm, shiny lump that doesn’t hurt and can grow quickly.

In the United States, MCC survival rates are based on how far the cancer has spread at the time of diagnosis:

• Localized disease has not spread beyond where the cancer started.
• Regional disease has spread to nearby tissues or lymph nodes.
• Distant disease has spread to parts of the body farther away.

For Merkel cell carcinoma, the five-year relative survival rates based on outcomes of people diagnosed between 2015 and 2021 are:

• Localized — 79 percent
• Regional — 66 percent
• Distant — 31 percent
• All stages combined — 69 percent

These numbers apply only to the stage when Merkel cell carcinoma is first diagnosed. They don’t apply later if the cancer grows, spreads, or comes back after treatment.

Also, people diagnosed today may have a better outlook than these numbers show because treatments have improved over time.

What Are Survival Rates for Other Rare Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers?

Some rarer skin cancers are grouped separately from BCC, SCC, and Merkel cell carcinoma. Their prognosis varies by cancer type, stage, treatment options, and immune system health.

Kaposi Sarcoma

Kaposi sarcoma can affect the skin, mouth, digestive tract, and other organs. The American Cancer Society reports these five-year relative survival rates for Kaposi sarcoma in the United States, based on people diagnosed from 2015 to 2021:

• Localized — 84 percent
• Regional — 64 percent
• Distant — 50 percent
• All stages combined — 75 percent

Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare, slow-growing skin cancer. It can occur after skin damage caused by factors such as burns, scars, tattoos, radiation, or surgical incisions. It rarely spreads, and with proper treatment, more than 99 percent of people with DFSP live 10 years or longer.

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