Research and Training Grants in Prostate Cancer
50
Grants
Total Prostate Cancer Grants in Effect as of March 1, 2020
$25
Million
Total Prostate Cancer Grant Funding in Effect as of March 1, 2020
Spotlight on Prostate Cancer Grantees
Here are some examples of the research areas and scientists the American Cancer Society funds. These investigators are working to find the answers that will save more lives of men with prostate cancer and improve the quality of life for them and their families.
A New Genetic Tool May Reduce Deaths from Prostate in African American Men
A New Test May Predict How Well New Treatments Will Work Against Prostate Cancer
Searching for Ways to Put an End to Untreatable Prostate Cancers
From Our Researchers
The American Cancer Society employs a staff of full-time researchers who relentlessly pursue the answers that help us understand how to prevent, detect, and treat cancer, including prostate cancer.
Cancer Facts & Figures
Each year, the American Cancer Society’s program in Surveillance Research team publishes Cancer Facts & Figures. This report gives a detailed analysis and estimations of cancer incidence, survival, and mortality trends in the US. It also has the latest information on risk factors, early detection, treatment, and current research.
Here are some 2021 facts and figures specific to prostate cancer.
- Prostate cancer develops mainly in older men. The median age at the time of diagnosis is about 66. It is rare before age 40. The incidence of prostate cancer is about 80% higher in Blacks than in whites for reasons that remain unclear.
- Prostate cancer accounts for 1 in 5 new diagnoses of cancer in men.
- An estimated 248,530 new cases of prostate cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the US during 2021.
- Researchers attribute a sharp drop in prostate cancer diagnoses from 2007 to 2014 to decreased PSA testing based on recommendations from the US Preventive Services Task Force because of growing concerns about overdiagnosis and overtreatment.
- An estimated 34,130 men are expected to die of prostate cancer in 2021. There is accumulating evidence that smoking increases the risk of dying from prostate cancer. So does being overweight or obese.
- Death rates from prostate cancer among men in the US dropped by 52% from 1993 to 2017.
- More than 3.3 million prostate cancer survivors are alive today.
Additional facts about prostate cancer are available at theCancer Statistics Center website.
Studying Prostate Cancer Causes and Prevention
Our Epidemiology Research Program conducts large, nationwide studies to advance our understanding about why cancer occurs, long-term survivorship, policies and guidelines, and prevention programs.
Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II). The team began this study in 1982 to study the link between lifestyle and cancer. CPS-II data and biospecimens have been included in the identification or validation of nearly every confirmed prostate cancer genetic variant known to date, leading to a better understanding of family history of these cancers. For example, a recent CPS-II analysis confirmed the scientific evidence that shows there is no link between having a vasectomy and the risk for prostate cancer.
The long-term aim of this research is to identify men at particularly high risk of the disease who may benefit most from enhanced screening, lifestyle modifications, and/or chemoprevention. American Cancer Society researchers continue to collect and analyze CPS-II data.
Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3). The focus of this study is to learn more about cancer risks and to better understand how to prevent cancer, including prostate cancer.
Learn more about our Cancer Prevention Studies.