Our 24/7 cancer helpline provides information and answers for people dealing with cancer. We can connect you with trained cancer information specialists who will answer questions about a cancer diagnosis and provide guidance and a compassionate ear.
Chat live online
Select the Live Chat button at the bottom of the page
Our highly trained specialists are available 24/7 via phone and on weekdays can assist through video calls and online chat. We connect patients, caregivers, and family members with essential services and resources at every step of their cancer journey. Ask us how you can get involved and support the fight against cancer. Some of the topics we can assist with include:
- Referrals to patient-related programs or resources
- Donations, website, or event-related assistance
- Tobacco-related topics
- Volunteer opportunities
- Cancer Information
For medical questions, we encourage you to review our information with your doctor.
-
- Can Prostate Cancer Be Found Early?
- Screening Tests for Prostate Cancer
- American Cancer Society Recommendations for Prostate Cancer Early Detection
- Insurance Coverage for Prostate Cancer Screening
- Signs and Symptoms of Prostate Cancer
- Tests to Diagnose and Stage Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Cancer Stages
- Risk Groups and Lab Tests to Help Determine Risk from Localized Prostate Cancer
- Survival Rates for Prostate Cancer
- Questions to Ask About Prostate Cancer
-
- Observation or Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer
- Surgery for Prostate Cancer
- Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer
- Cryotherapy, HIFU, and Other Ablative Treatments for Prostate Cancer
- Hormone Therapy for Prostate Cancer
- Chemotherapy for Prostate Cancer
- Immunotherapy for Prostate Cancer
- Targeted Drug Therapy for Prostate Cancer
- Treatments for Prostate Cancer Spread to Bones
- Considering Treatment Options for Early Prostate Cancer
- Initial Treatment of Prostate Cancer, by Stage and Risk Group
- Following PSA Levels During and After Prostate Cancer Treatment
- Treating Prostate Cancer That Doesn’t Go Away or Comes Back After Treatment
- If You Have Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Cancer Videos
- Prostate Cancer Quiz
Survival Rates for Prostate Cancer
Survival rates can give you an idea of what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive a certain amount of time (usually 5 years) after they were diagnosed.
How do the numbers apply to you?
Survival rates can’t tell you how long you will live, but they may help give you a better understanding of how likely it is that your treatment will be successful.
Keep in mind that survival rates are estimates and are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had a specific cancer, but they can’t predict what will happen in any particular person’s case. These statistics can be confusing and may lead you to have more questions. Ask your doctor how these numbers might apply to you.
What is a 5-year relative survival rate?
A relative survival rate compares people with the same type and stage of cancer to people in the overall population. For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate for a specific stage of prostate cancer is 90%, it means that men who have that cancer are, on average, about 90% as likely as men who don’t have that cancer to live for at least 5 years after being diagnosed.
Where do these numbers come from?
The American Cancer Society relies on information from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database, maintained by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), to provide survival statistics for different types of cancer.
The SEER database tracks 5-year relative survival rates for prostate cancer in the United States, based on how far the cancer has spread. The SEER database, however, doesn’t group cancers by AJCC TNM stages (stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, etc.). Instead it groups cancers into localized, regional, and distant stages.
- Localized: There is no sign that the cancer has spread outside the prostate.
- Regional: The cancer has spread outside the prostate to nearby structures or lymph nodes.
- Distant: The cancer has spread to other parts of the body, such as the lungs, liver, or bones.
Prostate cancer 5-year relative survival rates
These numbers are based on men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2013 and 2019.
SEER* Stage | 5-year Relative Survival Rate |
Localized | >99% |
Regional | >99% |
Distant | 34% |
All SEER stages combined | 97% |
Understanding the numbers
- These numbers apply only to the stage of the cancer when it is first diagnosed. They do not apply later on if the cancer grows, spreads, or comes back after treatment.
- These numbers don’t take everything into account. Survival rates are grouped based on how far the cancer has spread, but your age and overall health; test results, such as the PSA level and Grade Group of the cancer; how well the cancer responds to treatment; and other factors can also affect your outlook.
- Men now being diagnosed with prostate cancer may have a better outlook than these numbers show. Treatments for prostate cancer have improved over time, and these numbers are based on men who were diagnosed and treated at least 5 years earlier.
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2024. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2024.
Last Revised: January 17, 2024
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.
American Cancer Society Emails
Sign up to stay up-to-date with news, valuable information, and ways to get involved with the American Cancer Society.