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Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common
cancer in American men. The latest American Cancer Society estimates
for prostate cancer in the United States are for 2009:
- about 192, 280 new cases of prostate cancer will be
diagnosed
- 27,360 men will die of prostate cancer
About 1 man in 6 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during
his lifetime. More than 2 million men in the United States who have
been diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point are still alive
today.
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in
American men, behind only lung cancer. About 1 man in 35 will die of
prostate cancer. Prostate cancer accounts for about 10% of
cancer-related deaths in men.
The 5-year
survival rate refers to the percentage of patients who
live at least 5 years after their cancer is diagnosed. These rates are
used to create a standard way of discussing prognosis (outlook). Of
course, many of these patients live much longer than 5 years after
diagnosis. Five-year survival rates are based on patients diagnosed and
first treated more than 5 years ago. Improvements in treatment since
then may result in a better outlook for recently diagnosed patients.
Five-year relative survival rates compare the observed survival with
that expected for people without the cancer. That means that relative
survival only talks about deaths from the cancer in question. This is a
more accurate way to describe the outlook for patients with a certain
cancer.
According to the most recent data, for all men with prostate
cancer, the relative 5-year survival rate is nearly100% and the
relative 10-year survival rate is 91%. The 15-year relative survival
rate is 76%. Keep in mind that 5-year survival rates are based on
patients diagnosed and first treated more than 5 years ago, and 10-year
survival rates are based on patients diagnosed more than 10 years ago.
Modern methods of detection and treatment mean that many prostate
cancers are now found earlier and can be treated more effectively. If
you are diagnosed this year, your outlook is likely to be better than
the numbers reported above.
Last Medical Review: 07/30/2009
Last Revised: 07/30/2009
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