Because of routine screening tests, prostate cancer is often detected early, before the cancer has spread (metastasized) to other organs and it is not usually fatal. When detected early, there are various treatment options and a good chance of a cure. Prostate cancer is often a slow-growing cancer, sometimes requiring only monitoring for many years without any other treatment.

Understanding the Context

Prostate cancer is rarely fatal in people younger than 50 years old. Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Jim Hilson said his prostate cancer had ‘remained stable’ after going on the trial A “search and destroy” treatment has been found ... Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in men, and some experts project the number of cases to rise over the coming decades.

Key Insights

But in a recent Urologic Oncology article, ... The main cause of death in prostate cancer is the result of metastasis; when the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, such as the bones, liver, or lungs. This spread can lead to organ failure and other life-threatening complications. While any cancer diagnosis is serious, the vast majority of men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it. Many cases are slow-growing and may never pose a significant threat to a person’s life.

Final Thoughts

Survival rates of prostate cancer are based on outcomes of people who've had the disease. Find the survival rates for prostate cancer here. Because most prostate cancers are diagnosed with early screening measures and are curable, the average long-term prognosis for prostate cancer is quite encouraging. Prostate cancer that spreads can be more difficult to cure. But even when a cure isn't possible, treatments can slow the growth of the cancer and help you live longer. Among very elderly men who die of other causes, a surprising two-thirds may have prostate cancer that was never diagnosed.

But only 1 in 36 people who have prostate cancer die from it. Prostate cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The death rate was 19.2 per 100,000 men per year based on 2019–2023, age-adjusted. Aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States.