Every 17 minutes another American man dies from prostate cancer. That’s a little more than 86 deaths per day and 31,620 this year. That’s enough to fill an entire baseball stadium.
One in nine American men will have 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 in its Cancer Facts & Figures 2019 report that 174,650 men will be told they have prostate cancer in 2019. Currently there are nearly 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 five-year survival rate for all men with prostate cancer is nearly 100 percent. The relative 10-year survival rate is 98 percent, and 96 percent for 15 years.
You can learn more about how prostate cancer affects American men by downloading our infographic, American Men and Prostate Cancer By the Numbers, by clicking on the image to the left.
All men are at risk of developing prostate cancer but that risk increases significantly as men grow older. The table below shows the most recent prostate cancer statistics by age. Information for this table comes from Cancer Facts and Figures, and the percentages below are from State Cancer Profiles.
Print an easy to read 10 Things Everyone Should Know About Prostate Cancer fact sheet.
Unfortunately African American men are considered ‘high risk’ for developing prostate cancer and dying of the disease. The table below shows the most recent prostate cancer statistics for new cases and deaths by race in the U.S. for the years 2010 – 2014 (incidence) and 2011– 2015 (mortality). Information for this table comes from Cancer Facts & Figures.
Learn more about the disproportionate impact of prostate cancer on African-American men by downloading our more in-depth infographic, African-American Men and Prostate Cancer By the Numbers.
Five-year relative survival rates have increased consistently since 1975 in all cancers and prostate cancer has seen significant increases despite the differences observed between races. No other cancer has an overall five-year survival rate of 99 percent. The table below shows the increase over time. Information for this table comes from Cancer Facts & Figures.
The high survival rates for prostate cancer continue over time. The overall 10-year survival rate is 98%, and the 15-year survival rate is 96%. However, for “distant” prostate cancer, or cancer that has spread to bones, organs, or distant lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate drops from nearly 100% to 30%. “Distant” prostate cancer is more commonly known as advanced prostate cancer. Information for the table below comes from Cancer Facts & Figures.
Active Duty Service Men and Prostate Cancer
Active duty service men have the same prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates as men in the general population, according to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. The raw numbers of active duty service men impacted by prostate cancer are low compared to the general population because the average of age of a man at the time of a prostate cancer diagnosis is 66 and most active duty service men are under the age of 45.
However, African Americans serving in the military are 25 percent more likely to get screened for prostate cancer and to receive treatment for their disease compared to African Americans in the general population.