Generally, prostate cancer survival rates are very good with a five-year survival rate of 98%.
The TNM system was developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer.
Here is how it breaks down:
Outcomes for prostate cancer are measured using a five-year survival rate.
Panuwat Dangsungnoen / EyeEm / Getty Images
This compares those with the same bang out and stage of cancer to those in the general population.
Black men have the highest incidence of prostate cancer among all racial/ethnic groups in the United States.
Social inequalities contribute to worse outcomes for Black men with prostate cancer compared to white men.
The same study found doctors may underestimate the risk of low-grade cancers in Black men.
Roughly six in 10 cases are diagnosed in men who are 65 years or older.
The average age at diagnosis is 66 and diagnosis under age 40 is rare.
An exception to this is for men with stage IV prostate cancer.
Men aged less than 49 and more than 80 years old have the lowest 10-year survival rate.
Survival by Disease Progression
The extent prostate cancer has progressed can influence survival rates.
In men with prostate cancer, blood levels of PSA are often elevated.
Doctors can use PSA as a marker to better understand the progression of prostate cancer and the resulting prognosis.
One way doctors assess the progression of the disease is through PSA doubling time.
This refers to the number of months it takes for PSA to double.
One study suggests a short doubling time means a poorer prognosis for patients with stage IV prostate cancer.
When Is Prostate Cancer Normally Diagnosed?
Around 92% of prostate cancers are diagnosed in the early (localized or regional) stages.
Survival by Tumor Grade
One way cancer is staged is by looking at the grade of cancer.
Grade refers to how cancer cells look like under a microscope.
Under this system, cancerous cells are categorized on a scale from 1 to 5.
The higher the Gleason score, the more likely it is the prostate cancer will grow and spread quickly.
The number of lymph nodes at the time of prostatectomy can influence the risk of recurrence.
But disease recurrence doesnt always influence survival times.
How Common Is Prostate Cancer Recurrence?
Between 20 and 30% of men with prostate cancer will experience recurrence at some point following treatment.
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