Statistics at a Glance
At a Glance
Estimated New Cases in 2020 191,930
% of All New Cancer Cases 10.6%
Estimated Deaths in 2020 33,330
% of All Cancer Deaths 5.5%
5-Year
Relative Survival
Year | Rate of New Cases — SEER 9 | Rate of New Cases — SEER 13 | Death Rate — U.S. | 5-Year Relative Survival — SEER 9 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Observed | Modeled Trend | Observed | Modeled Trend | Observed | Modeled Trend | Observed | Modeled Trend | |
1975 | 94.00 | 92.87 | - | - | 30.97 | 31.42 | 66.45% | 66.87% |
1976 | 97.95 | 95.30 | - | - | 31.78 | 31.71 | 68.65% | 67.76% |
1977 | 100.48 | 97.79 | - | - | 31.83 | 32.00 | 69.11% | 68.63% |
1978 | 99.40 | 100.35 | - | - | 32.66 | 32.29 | 69.46% | 69.49% |
1979 | 103.42 | 102.97 | - | - | 32.84 | 32.58 | 71.34% | 70.32% |
1980 | 106.05 | 105.66 | - | - | 33.05 | 32.87 | 70.50% | 71.14% |
1981 | 108.88 | 108.42 | - | - | 33.17 | 33.17 | 72.01% | 71.94% |
1982 | 108.25 | 111.25 | - | - | 33.36 | 33.47 | 72.16% | 72.72% |
1983 | 111.65 | 114.16 | - | - | 33.92 | 33.78 | 72.77% | 73.48% |
1984 | 111.70 | 117.14 | - | - | 34.06 | 34.08 | 73.39% | 74.23% |
1985 | 115.52 | 120.20 | - | - | 33.91 | 34.39 | 75.21% | 74.96% |
1986 | 119.10 | 123.34 | - | - | 34.93 | 34.70 | 77.24% | 75.67% |
1987 | 133.78 | 126.57 | - | - | 35.11 | 35.02 | 80.77% | 80.35% |
1988 | 137.65 | 129.87 | - | - | 35.88 | 36.08 | 83.45% | 84.22% |
1989 | 145.43 | 150.79 | - | - | 37.10 | 37.18 | 84.64% | 87.39% |
1990 | 171.14 | 175.08 | - | - | 38.56 | 38.31 | 88.70% | 89.96% |
1991 | 214.89 | 203.27 | - | - | 39.31 | 39.47 | 92.96% | 92.03% |
1992 | 237.60 | 236.01 | 234.27 | 232.52 | 39.22 | 39.28 | 96.28% | 93.69% |
1993 | 209.67 | 213.64 | 207.19 | 206.66 | 39.34 | 39.09 | 95.41% | 95.01% |
1994 | 180.43 | 193.39 | 177.62 | 183.67 | 38.54 | 38.90 | 94.87% | 96.07% |
1995 | 169.55 | 175.05 | 166.68 | 163.24 | 37.29 | 37.25 | 95.94% | 96.90% |
1996 | 169.68 | 174.70 | 166.91 | 166.73 | 36.00 | 35.67 | 96.66% | 97.56% |
1997 | 173.83 | 174.35 | 172.08 | 170.28 | 34.15 | 34.15 | 97.71% | 98.08% |
1998 | 171.25 | 174.00 | 169.91 | 173.92 | 32.63 | 32.71 | 98.40% | 98.49% |
1999 | 183.72 | 173.64 | 180.50 | 177.63 | 31.56 | 31.57 | 99.47% | 98.81% |
2000 | 183.37 | 173.29 | 179.14 | 181.42 | 30.39 | 30.47 | 99.08% | 99.07% |
2001 | 185.41 | 172.94 | 180.40 | 177.81 | 29.52 | 29.42 | 99.98% | 99.27% |
2002 | 182.74 | 172.59 | 178.24 | 174.27 | 28.71 | 28.39 | 99.92% | 99.42% |
2003 | 170.19 | 172.24 | 165.75 | 170.80 | 27.19 | 27.41 | 99.54% | 99.55% |
2004 | 166.36 | 171.90 | 165.78 | 167.40 | 26.19 | 26.46 | 99.82% | 99.64% |
2005 | 157.10 | 171.55 | 154.39 | 164.07 | 25.40 | 25.54 | 99.36% | 99.72% |
2006 | 172.69 | 171.20 | 165.13 | 160.81 | 24.24 | 24.65 | 99.81% | 99.78% |
2007 | 175.79 | 170.86 | 168.54 | 157.61 | 24.23 | 23.80 | 99.89% | 99.70% |
2008 | 158.65 | 170.51 | 154.01 | 154.47 | 23.01 | 22.97 | 99.45% | 99.59% |
2009 | 155.82 | 156.86 | 150.96 | 151.40 | 22.12 | 22.17 | 99.47% | 99.44% |
2010 | 148.40 | 144.30 | 144.39 | 148.38 | 21.81 | 21.40 | 99.59% | 99.23% |
2011 | 142.31 | 132.75 | 138.32 | 133.48 | 20.79 | 20.66 | 99.35% | 98.94% |
2012 | 116.37 | 122.12 | 113.17 | 120.08 | 19.57 | 19.94 | 98.23% | 98.55% |
2013 | 111.15 | 112.35 | 107.67 | 108.03 | 19.28 | 19.25 | - | 98.01% |
2014 | 102.02 | 103.35 | 98.83 | 97.18 | 19.12 | 19.18 | - | 97.29% |
2015 | 107.88 | 107.07 | 101.91 | 100.68 | 18.96 | 19.11 | - | 96.30% |
2016 | 110.01 | 110.92 | 103.74 | 104.31 | 19.40 | 19.05 | - | 94.95% |
2017 | 115.24 | 114.91 | 108.05 | 108.07 | 18.85 | 18.98 | - | 93.14% |
2018 | - | - | - | - | 18.88 | 18.91 | - | 90.72% |
New cases come from SEER 13. Deaths come from U.S. Mortality.
All Races, Males. Rates are Age-Adjusted.
Modeled trend lines were calculated from the underlying rates using the Joinpoint Trend Analysis Software.
New cases are also referred to as incident cases in other publications. Rates of new cases are also referred to as incidence rates.
Rate of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The rate of new cases of prostate cancer was 109.8 per 100,000 men per year. The death rate was 19.0 per 100,000 men per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2013–2017 cases and 2014–2018 deaths.
Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 12.1 percent of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2015–2017 data.
Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2017, there were an estimated 3,170,339 men living with prostate cancer in the United States.
Survival Statistics
How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer?
Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.
![97.8%](images/survival_people_charts/Surv_Chart_97_8_Percent_Survive.png)
5-Year
Relative Survival
Based on data from SEER 18 2010–2016. Gray figures represent those who have died from prostate cancer. Green figures represent those who have survived 5 years or more.
Survival by Stage
Cancer stage at diagnosis, which refers to extent of a cancer in the body, determines treatment options and has a strong influence on the length of survival. In general, if the cancer is found only in the part of the body where it started it is localized (sometimes referred to as stage 1). If it has spread to a different part of the body, the stage is regional or distant. For prostate cancer, 75.9% are diagnosed at the local stage. The 5-year relative survival for localized prostate cancer is 100.0%.
Stage | Percent of Cases | 5-Year Relative Survival |
---|---|---|
Localized Confined to Primary Site |
76% | 100.0% |
Regional Spread to Regional Lymph Nodes |
13% | 100.0% |
Distant Cancer Has Metastasized |
6% | 30.2% |
Unknown Unstaged |
5% | 83.3% |
SEER 18 2010–2016, All Races, Males by SEER Summary Stage 2000
New Cases and Deaths
How Common Is This Cancer?
Compared to other cancers, prostate cancer is fairly common.
Rank | Common Types of Cancer | Estimated New Cases 2020 |
Estimated Deaths 2020 |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Breast Cancer (Female) | 276,480 | 42,170 |
2. | Lung and Bronchus Cancer | 228,820 | 135,720 |
3. | Prostate Cancer | 191,930 | 33,330 |
4. | Colorectal Cancer | 147,950 | 53,200 |
5. | Melanoma of the Skin | 100,350 | 6,850 |
6. | Bladder Cancer | 81,400 | 17,980 |
7. | Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma | 77,240 | 19,940 |
8. | Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer | 73,750 | 14,830 |
9. | Uterine Cancer | 65,620 | 12,590 |
10. | Leukemia | 60,530 | 23,100 |
Prostate cancer represents 10.6% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.
![](images/est_cases_deaths/How_common_pie_10_6.png)
10.6%
In 2020, it is estimated that there will be 191,930 new cases of prostate cancer and an estimated 33,330 people will die of this disease.
Who Gets This Cancer?
Prostate cancer occurs only in men, and it is more common in older men than younger men. It is more likely to occur in men with a family history of prostate cancer and men of African American descent. The rate of new cases of prostate cancer was 109.8 per 100,000 men per year based on 2013–2017 cases, age-adjusted.
Age Range | Percent of New Cases |
---|---|
<20 | 0.0% |
20–34 | 0.0% |
35–44 | 0.4% |
45–54 | 8.1% |
55–64 | 32.4% |
65–74 | 39.9% |
75–84 | 15.1% |
>84 | 4.1% |
Prostate cancer is most frequently diagnosed among men aged 65–74.
Median Age
At Diagnosis
SEER 21 2013–2017, All Races, Males
Who Dies From This Cancer?
Because we have screening for prostate cancer, most of the time it is caught before it spreads to other parts of the body. Men who have prostate cancer that is characterized as localized or regional are not as likely to die as men whose cancer is distant. In general prostate cancer has excellent survival rates, but death rates are higher in African American men, men who have advanced stage cancer, and men who are between the ages of 75 and 84. Prostate cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The death rate was 19.0 per 100,000 men per year based on 2014–2018, age-adjusted.
Age Range | Percent of Deaths |
---|---|
<20 | 0.0% |
20–34 | 0.0% |
35–44 | 0.1% |
45–54 | 1.4% |
55–64 | 9.3% |
65–74 | 23.0% |
75–84 | 33.3% |
>84 | 33.0% |
The percent of prostate cancer deaths is highest among men aged 75–84.
Median Age
At Death
U.S. 2014–2018, All Races, Males
Trends in Rates
Changes Over Time
Keeping track of new cases, deaths, and survival over time (trends) can help scientists understand whether progress is being made and where additional research is needed to address challenges, such as improving screening or finding better treatments.
Using statistical models for analysis, age-adjusted rates for new prostate cancer cases have been falling on average 4.3% each year over 2008–2017. Age-adjusted death rates have been falling on average 1.8% each year over 2009–2018. 5-year relative survival trends are shown below.
Interactive Statistics with SEER*Explorer
- Create custom graphs and tables
- Download data and images
- Share links to results
SEER*Explorer is an interactive website that provides easy access to a wide range of SEER cancer statistics. It provides detailed statistics for a cancer site by gender, race, calendar year, age, and for a selected number of cancer sites, by stage and histology.
Explore Additional Prostate Cancer StatisticsMore About This Cancer
Cancer and the Prostate
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201218020041im_/https://seer.cancer.gov/i/factsheets/prost-lg.jpg)
Figure: Anatomy diagram shows the prostate, urethra, penis, testicle, bladder, lymph nodes, seminal vesicle, and rectum are labeled. An inset provides a close-up view of the prostate, urethra, bladder, seminal vesicles, and rectum.
This cancer forms in tissues of the prostate (a gland in the male reproductive system found below the bladder and in front of the rectum). The prostate surrounds the urethra, the tube through which urine flows. A healthy prostate is about the size of a walnut. If the prostate grows too large, it squeezes the urethra. This may slow or stop the normal flow of urine. Prostate cancer usually occurs in older men.
Additional Information
More Information
Here are some resources for learning more about prostate cancer.
- About risk factors for prostate cancer
- About symptoms and diagnosis of prostate cancer
- About treatment options for prostate cancer
- About clinical trials
- About preventing prostate cancer
- About the health risks of smoking and ways to quit
References
All statistics in this report are based on statistics from SEER and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Most can be found within SEER*Explorer.
Suggested Citation
All material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.
SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Prostate Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/prost.html
These stat facts focus on population statistics that are based on the U.S. population. Because these statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. To see tailored statistics, browse SEER*Explorer. To see statistics for a specific state, go to the State Cancer Profiles.
The statistics presented in these stat facts are based on the most recent data available, most of which can be found in SEER*Explorer. In some cases, different year spans may be used.
Estimates of new cases and deaths for 2020 are projections made by the American Cancer Society (ACS), based on earlier reported data.
Cancer is a complex topic. There is a wide range of information available. These stat facts do not address causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, or decision making, although links are provided to information in many of these areas.