Papillary carcinoma mostly refers to papillary thyroid cancer, there is no authoritative treatment indicating how long it can live, some patients can reach more than 90% of 10-year survival rate with timely treatment, but a small number of patients will die due to metastasis of papillary thyroid cancer. At present, there is no authoritative clinical information showing how long papillary thyroid cancer can live. After papillary thyroid cancer appears, patients should take timely surgery such as lobectomy with isthmus resection, total or proximal thyroidectomy, as well as target drugs such as sorafenib and levatinib according to doctor’s prescription. The prognosis of patients with timely measures of treatment is mostly good, and the 10-year survival rate of some patients is more than 90%. However, a small number of patients may experience cancer recurrence or cancer metastasis after surgery, and patients may die. There is no definite statement on how long patients with papillary thyroid cancer will live. Patients should seek medical treatment in time for early detection and early treatment. Patients should have a regular life, avoid staying up late, overworking and alcohol abuse, and should follow the doctor’s instructions for regular checkups.