Prostate Cancer Survival Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Prostate Cancer Prostate Cancer Survival By Joseph Bennington-CastroMedically Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MDReviewed: April 14, 2015Medically ReviewedThe vast majority of men diagnosed today with prostate cancer will survive for at least 15 years. After lung cancer, prostate cancer causes the most cancer-related deaths among American men. Experts estimate it will kill 27,540 men in the United States in 2015, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Despite these daunting statistics, prostate cancer has a fairly good prognosis. In fact, most men who die while they have the disease actually die from other causes, i.e., they die with (but not from) prostate cancer. Prostate cancer kills only about one in 38 men who have the disease, the ACS notes. A man's cancer stage is one of the most important factors in predicting how long he will survive with the disease. Prostate Cancer Stages There are four prostate cancer stages, which refer to how quickly and how far the cancer has spread. The stages are based on guidelines set by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). To determine your prostate cancer stage, your doctor will perform a number of tests, including:Digital rectal exam, in which your prostate is felt for abnormalitiesA blood test to measure the amount of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) that's circulating in your body (generally, PSA levels are higher for more advanced prostate cancers)A biopsy to extract cancerous tissue and grade how likely it will spread based on its appearance compared with normal prostate tissue (the grade is called the Gleason score)Various imaging tests, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scansBone scans to look for cancerous cells in bone If you have stage I prostate cancer, the tumor is confined to your prostate, and may even be too small to feel during a digital rectal exam. Your PSA and Gleason scores, if known, are relatively low. Stage II is more advanced than stage I, meaning that your tumor may be a bit larger and your PSA and Gleason scores may be higher. However, the cancer still hasn't spread beyond your prostate. With stage III, the tumor has spread beyond the outer layer of your prostate and may have invaded the seminal vesicles. The cancer cells haven't made it to the lymph nodes. You have stage IV if your cancer has spread beyond the seminal vesicles to nearby structures, such as the bladder, rectum, and wall of the pelvis. It may also have spread to your lymph nodes and other distant parts of your body, such as your bones. Five-Year Relative Survival Rates Prostate cancer survival statistics are generally discussed in terms of the five-year survival rates — the percentage of people who will live at least five years after being diagnosed. The statistics are based on men who were first diagnosed and treated at least five years ago. They're generally framed in terms of relative survival rates, which take into account causes of death unrelated to the cancer. The National Cancer Institute keeps track of cancer survival statistics through its SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program) database, which groups cancers into local, regional, and distant stages. Local stage corresponds to AJCC stages I and II, and refers to cancers that haven't spread beyond the prostate. Regional stage refers to cancer that's invaded nearby areas, and corresponds to AJCC stage III, as well as stage IV that hasn't spread to distant parts of the body. Distant stage corresponds to the rest of the AJCC stage IV cancers, which have spread to distant parts of the body. The five-year relative survival rates for local, regional, and distant stages are 100 percent, 100 percent, and 28 percent, respectively, according to the SEER database. The five-year survival rate for unknown or un-staged prostate cancer is 74 percent. Other Prostate Cancer Survival Rates The five-year relative survival rate for all stages combined is nearly 100 percent according to the ACS. Additionally, the 10-year and 15-year relative survival rates for all stages are 99 percent and 94 percent, respectively. A person's actual prognosis may differ depending on his age, health, treatment, and other factors. It's also important to note that — since the statistics are based on men who were diagnosed and treated at least five, 10, or 15 years ago — improvements in prostate cancer and treatment may result in a better outlook than what's suggested by the survival rates. NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Men' s Health Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking How is prostate cancer staged?; ACS.Stages of Prostate Cancer; National Cancer Institute.Survival rates for prostate cancer; ACS.SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Prostate Cancer; National Cancer Institute.Prostate Cancer; University Maryland Medical Center.Measures of Cancer Survival; National Cancer Institute.Show Less The Latest in Prostate Cancer Prostate Cancer Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment and MoreBy Laura NewmanSeptember 18, 2022 New Combos of Old Drugs Improve Survival in Patients With Prostate Cancer Day 3 of the European Society for Medical Oncology s 2021 CongressAdd-on Zytiga is expected to become the new standard of care almost immediately. 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