Every 15 minutes another American man dies from prostate cancer. That’s more than 94 deaths per day and 34,500 this year. That’s enough to fill an entire baseball stadium.
One in eight American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among American men and is the most commonly diagnosed. The American Cancer Society estimates that 268,490 men will be told they have prostate cancer in 2022. Currently, there are over 3.1 million American men living with the disease – roughly equal to the population of Chicago.
Early detection and advances in treatment are saving lives. Finding prostate cancer when it is still at an early stage offers the best hope for living cancer-free for a long time. The most recent research shows the relative five-year survival rate for all men with prostate cancer is 98 percent.
All men are at risk of developing prostate cancer but that risk increases significantly as men grow older. Unfortunately, Black men are considered high risk for developing prostate cancer and dying of the disease. You can learn more about how prostate cancer disproportionately affects Black men by visiting our Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer section.
Download, print, or share the Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Prostate Cancer fact sheet.
The high survival rates for prostate cancer continue over time. However, for “distant” prostate cancer, or cancer that has spread to bones, organs, or distant lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate drops from 98% to 31%. “Distant” prostate cancer is more commonly known as advanced prostate cancer.