Prostate cancer Stages
Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the prostate gland, which is located in the male reproductive system. The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that produces semen, and is located just below the bladder. Prostate cancer usually occurs in men over the age of 65, and is the second most common type of cancer in men (after skin cancer). There are four main stages of prostate cancer:
- Stage I: The cancer is small and has not spread beyond the prostate gland.
- Stage II: The cancer is larger and may have spread to nearby tissues.
- Stage III: The cancer has spread to distant parts of the body.
- Stage IV: The cancer has spread to other organs, such as the bones or liver.
Prognosis and Life Expectancy
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. The American Cancer Society’s estimates for prostate cancer in the United States for 2020 are:
- About 191,930 new cases of prostate cancer
- About 33,330 deaths from prostate cancer
The average man’s risk of getting prostate cancer is about 1 in 9. The risk goes up as men get older. About 6 in 10 cases are found in men aged 65 or older, and it is most common in African-American men. Prostate cancer can be a slow-growing cancer, which may never cause any problems. But some types of prostate cancer can grow and spread quickly.
If you have prostate cancer, your doctor will consider your age and overall health, the stage of the cancer (how much it has spread), and your treatment preferences to develop a treatment plan that’s right for you. The average life expectancy for men with prostate cancer is about 15 years. However, this varies depending on how early the cancer is detected and treated. If the cancer is caught early, before it has spread to other parts of the body, the survival rate is nearly 100%. However, if the cancer has spread to other organs, the survival rate drops to 30%.
According to the National Cancer Institute, the 5-year survival rate for men with prostate cancer is nearly 100%. The 10-year survival rate is about 98%. These rates are based on men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer in the early stages and treated with surgery or radiation therapy.