PROSTATE CANCER AT A GLANCE

The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that only men have. It is part of the reproductive system that makes the fluid that carries sperm. The prostate is located in front of the rectum and just below the bladder. The urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to outside the body) runs through the center of the prostate. 

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The gland is made of:

• Three lobes that surround the upper part of the urethra
• The tube that carries urine
• Semen from the other sex glands (the testicles and seminal vesicles)

Age is one of the most important risk factors for prostate cancer.. As men begin to approach the autumn of their lives, between 40-70, more than 70% over the age of 65 are diagnosed with the disease. Genetic factors also appear to play a role, particularly for families in which the diagnosis is made in men under age 60. The risk of prostate cancer rises with the number of close relatives who have the disease.

FACTS

Not counting some forms of skin cancer, prostate cancer in
the United States is:

• The most common cancer in men, no matter your race or ethnicity.
• The second most common cause of death from cancer among white, African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic men.
• The third most common cause of death from cancer among Asian/Pacific Islander men.
• More common in African-American men compared to white men.
• Less common in American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander men compared to white men.
• More common in Hispanic men compared to non-Hispanic men

In 2005 (the most recent year for which numbers are available):

• 185,895 men developed prostate cancer..
• 28,905 men died from prostate cancer.

Current Estimates:

• 186,320+ developing prostate cancer
• 28,600+ dying from prostate cancer

T-1 Prostate cancer - This is a cancer which has no signs or symptoms and is totally unsuspected. The prostate feels normal to the physician on rectal exam. The cancer is detected either by an elevated Prostatic Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test and subsequent biopsies or by examination of tissue removed during treatment of an enlarged prostate.
T-2 Prostate cancer - This is a tumor which is suspected on rectal exam. One or both lobes of the prostate have areas of firmness and biopsies reveal the cancer. The PSA is also usually elevated.
T-3 Prostate cancer - This is a tumor that has spread outside the prostate capsule and may have reached the seminal vesicles. This tumor may not be curable by surgery, radiation.
T-4 Prostate cancer - This tumor may have spread to the rectum or bladder or to distant organs or bone. This tumor is not curable by surgery, radiation.Risk of Prostate Cancer by AgeThe risk of getting prostate cancer increases with age. The table below shows the percentage of men (how many out of 100) who will get prostate cancer over different time periods. The time periods are based on the man's current age.
For example, go to current age 60. The table shows 6.42% of men who are now 60 years old will get prostate cancer sometime during the next 10 years. That is, 6 or 7 out of every 100 men who are 60 years old today will get prostate cancer by the age of 70.

Percent of U.S. Men Who Develop Prostate Cancer over 10-, 20-, and 30-Year Intervals According to Their Current Age, 2003–2005

Current Age                 10 Years              20 Years              30 Years
         30                               0.01                   0.29                         2.39                         
         40                               0.29                   2.43                         8.02
         50                               2.22                    8.04                      13.97
         60                               6.42                  12.98                      15.74
         70                               8.34                  11.85                      N/A

The following information is based on NCI’s (National Cancer Institute) SEER Cancer Statistics Review2

INCIDENCE & MORTALITY

SEER Incidence From 2001-2005, the median age at diagnosis for cancer of the prostate was 68 years of age3 . Approximately 0.0% were diagnosed under age 20; 0.0% between 20 and 34; 0.6% between 35 and 44; 8.6% between 45 and 54; 28.0% between 55 and 64; 36.1% between 65 and 74; 22.0% between 75 and 84; and 4.7% 85+ years of age.
The age-adjusted incidence rate was 163.0 per 100,000 men per year. These rates are based on cases diagnosed in 2001-2005 from 17 SEER geographic areas.The age-adjusted incidence rate was 163.0 per 100,000 men per year. These rates are based on cases diagnosed in 2001-2005 from 17 SEER geographic areas.

US MORTALITY

From 2001-2005, the median age at death for cancer of the prostate was 80 years of age4 . Approximately 0.0% died under age 20; 0.0% between 20 and 34; 0.1% between 35 and 44; 1.4% between 45 and 54; 6.9% between 55 and 64; 20.4% between 65 and 74; 41.5% between 75 and 84; and 29.7% 85+ years of age.The age-adjusted death rate was 26.7 per 100,000 men per year. These rates are based on patients who died in 2001-2005 in the US.

TRENDS IN RATES

Trends in rates can be described in many ways. Information for trends over a fixed period of time, for example 1995-2005, can be evaluated by the annual percentage change (APC) (See Fast Stats for trends over fixed time intervals) . If there is a negative sign before the number, the trend is a decrease; otherwise it is an increase. If there is an asterisk after the APC then the trend was significant, that is, one believes that it is beyond chance, i.e. 95% sure, that the increase or decrease is real over the period 1995-2005. If the trend is not significant, the trend is usually reported as stable or level. Joinpoint analyses can be used over a long period of time to evaluate when changes in the trend have occurred along with the APC which shows how much the trend has changed between each of the joinpoints.

The joinpoint trend in SEER cancer incidence with associated APC(%) for cancer of the prostate between 1975-2005

All Races--Male
                 Trend                             Period
                  2.6*                           1975-1988
                  16.1*                          1988-1992
                  -9.5                            1992-1995
                 -0..4                            1995-2005

The joinpoint trend in US cancer mortality with associated APC(%) for cancer of the prostate between 1975-2005
All Races--Male
                 Trend                        Period
                  0.9*                         1975-1987
                  3.0*                         1987-1991
                  -0.6                         1991-1994
                  -4.1*                        1994-2005

SURVIVAL & STAGE

Survival rates can be calculated by different methods for different purposes. The survival rates presented here are based on the relative survival rate , which measures the survival of the cancer patients in comparison to the general population to estimate the effect of cancer. The overall 5-year relative survival rate for 1996-2004 from 17 SEER geographic areas was 98.9%. Five-year relative survival rates by race were: 99.5% for white men; 95.4% for black men.
The stage distribution based on historic stage shows that 91% of prostate cancer cases are diagnosed while the cancer is still confined to the primary site or after the cancer has spread to regional lymph nodes (localized or regional stage); 4% are diagnosed after the cancer has already metastasized (distant stage) and for the remaining 4% the staging information was unknown. The corresponding 5-year relative survival rates were: 100.0% for localized/regional; 31.7% for distant; and 79.4% for unstaged. (See Fast Stats for more detailed statistics)

LIFETIME RISK

Based on rates from 2003-2005, 15.78% of men born today will be diagnosed with cancer of the prostate at some time during their lifetime. This number can also be expressed as 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with cancer of the prostate during their lifetime. These statistics are called the lifetime risk of developing cancer. Sometimes it is more useful to look at the probability of developing cancer of the prostate between two age groups. For example, 8.04% of men will develop cancer of the prostate between their 50th and 70th birthdays. (See Fast Stats for more detailed statistics, and Probability of Developing and Dying of Cancer for methodology)

PREVALENCE

On January 1, 2005, in the United States there were approximately 2,106,499 men alive who had a history of cancer of the prostate. This includes any person alive on January 1, 2005 who had been diagnosed with cancer of the prostate at any point prior to January 1, 2005 and includes persons with active disease and those who are cured of their disease. Prevalence can also be expressed as a percentage and it can also be calculated for a specific amount of time prior to January 1, 2005 such as diagnosed within 5 years of January 1, 2005. (See Fast Stats for more detailed statistics, and Overview of Prevalence Statistics for methodology)

Rate of Prostate Cancer by Race and Ethnicity

"Incidence rate" means how many men out of a given number get the disease each year. The graph below shows how many men out of 100,000 got prostate cancer each year during the years 1975–2005. The year 2005 is the most recent year for which numbers have been reported. The prostate cancer incidence rate is grouped by race and ethnicity.
For example, you can see that black men had the highest incidence rate for prostate cancer. White men had the second highest incidence of getting prostate cancer, followed by Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native men.

Prostate Cancer
SEER Incidence Rates* by Race and Ethnicity, U.S., 1975–2005

Deaths from Prostate Cancer by Race and Ethnicity

From 1975–2005, the rate of men dying from prostate cancer has varied, depending on their race and ethnicity. The graph below shows that in 2005, black men were more likely to die of prostate cancer than any other group. White men had the second highest rate of deaths from prostate cancer, followed by men who are American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander.

 

Prostate Cancer
U.S. Death Rates* by Race and Ethnicity, 1975–2005

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