Prostate cancer survival statistics

Survival

Survive prostate cancer for 10 or more years, 2010-11, England and Wales

Age

Age that prostate cancer survival is highest, 2009-2013, England

 

Improvement

Prostate cancer survival in the UK has tripled in the last 40 years

 

94% of men survive prostate cancer for at least one year, and this is predicted to fall to 85% surviving for five years or more, as shown by age-standardised Open a glossary item  net survival  for patients diagnosed with prostate cancer during 2010-2011 in England and Wales.[1]

Prostate Cancer (C61), Age-Standardised One-, Five- and Ten-Year Net Survival, Men (Aged 15-99), England and Wales, 2010-2011

1-Year Survival (%) 5-Year Survival (%) 10-Year Survival (%)
Men Net Survival 94.0 84.8 83.8
95% LCL 94.0 84.8 83.8
95% UCL 94.0 84.8 83.8

95% LCL and 95% UCL are the 95% lower and upper confidence limits Open a glossary item

Five- and ten-year survival is predicted using an excess hazard statistical model

Prostate cancer survival falls only slightly beyond five years after diagnosis, which means most patients can be considered cured after five years. 84% of men are predicted to survive their disease for ten years or more, as shown by age-standardised net survival for patients diagnosed with prostate cancer during 2010-2011 in England and Wales.[1] This high survival is due, in part, to the detection of latent, earlier, slow-growing tumours via transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) Open a glossary item and prostate specific antigen (PSA) Open a glossary item testing. Out of 20 common cancers in England and Wales, ten-year survival for prostate cancer ranks 3rd highest (both overall and for males only).

Prostate Cancer (C61), Net Survival up to Ten Years after Diagnosis, Men (Aged 15-99), England and Wales, 2010-2011

Survival for prostate cancer is reported in Scotland and Northern Ireland,[2,3] though it is difficult to make survival comparisons between countries due to different methodologies and criteria for including patients in analyses.

See also

Cancer survival statistics for common cancers in the UK

References

  1. Data were provided by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on request, 2014. 
  2. ISD Scotland. Trends in Cancer Survival 1983-2007. 
  3. Northern Ireland Cancer Registry. Incidence & Survival 1993-2012.

About this data

Data is for: England and Wales,  2010-2011, ICD-10 C61

Last reviewed:

Five-year survival for prostate cancer shows an unusual pattern with age: survival gradually increases from 91% in men aged 15-49 and peaks at 94% in 60-69 year olds; survival falls thereafter, reaching its lowest point of 66% in 80-99 year olds patients diagnosed with prostate cancer in England during 2009-2013.[1] The higher survival in men in their sixties is likely to be associated with higher rates of PSA testing in this age group.

Prostate Cancer (C61), Five-Year Net Survival by Age, Men, England, 2009-2013

See also

Prostate cancer incidence statistics by age

Prostate cancer mortality statistics by age

Cancer survival statistics by age for all cancers in the UK

References

  1. Office for National Statistics. Cancer survival in England: adults diagnosed in 2009 to 2013, followed up to 2014. Newport: ONS; 2015.

About this data

Data is for: England, 2009-2013, ICD-10 C61

Last reviewed:

As with most cancers, survival for prostate cancer is improving. However, interpretation of prostate cancer survival trends is difficult as the case-mix on which they are based is likely to have changed over time with earlier diagnoses following the advent of TURP and PSA testing. The detection of a greater proportion of latent, earlier, slow-growing tumours in more recent time periods will have the effect of raising survival rates due to lead-time bias (that is, the difference in time between screen detection and clinical detection in the absence of screening).[1] Lead-time bias for prostate cancer is estimated to be between five and 12 years, varying with a man's age at screening.[2,3] Data from the European Randomized Study of Prostate Cancer estimates that for a single screening test, mean lead times are 12 years at age 55 and six years at age 75.[3] Some of the increase may also be attributed to genuine improvements in survival due to more effective treatment, for both early, aggressive prostate cancers and advanced cases.[4]

One-year age-standardised Open a glossary item net survival for prostate cancer has increased from 66% during 1971-1972 to 94% during 2010-2011 in England and Wales – an absolute survival difference Open a glossary item of 28 percentage points.[5]

Prostate Cancer (C61), Age-Standardised One-Year Net Survival, Men (Aged 15-99), England and Wales, 1971-2011

Survival at five years is strongly associated with the amount of PSA testing in the population, though improvements in treatment are likely to have had some impact.[4] Five-year age-standardised net survival for prostate cancer has increased from 37% during 1971-1972 to a predicted survival of 85% during 2010-2011 in England and Wales – an absolute survival difference of 48 percentage points.[5]

Prostate Cancer (C61), Age-Standardised Five-Year Net Survival, Men (Aged 15-99), England and Wales, 1971-2011

Ten-year survival has increased by an even greater amount than one- and five-year survival since the early 1970s. This is again generally attributable to PSA testing, as well as the success of treatment.[4] Ten-year age-standardised net survival for prostate cancer has increased from 25% during 1971-1972 to a predicted survival of 84% during 2010-2011 in England and Wales – an absolute survival difference of 59 percentage points.[5] Overall, more than 8 in 10 men diagnosed with prostate cancer today are predicted to survive their disease for at least ten years.

Prostate Cancer (C61), Age-Standardised Ten-Year Net Survival, Men (Aged 15-99), England and Wales, 1971-2011

See also

Prostate cancer incidence trends over time

Prostate cancer mortality trends over time

Cancer survival statistics for common cancers in the UK

References

  1. Parker C, Muston D, Melia J, et al. A model of the natural history of screen-detected prostate cancer, and the effect of radical treatment on overall survival. Br J Cancer 2006;94(10):1361-8. 
  2. Pashayan N, Powles J, Brown C, et al. Excess cases of prostate cancer and estimated overdiagnosis associated with PSA testing in East Anglia. Br J Cancer 2006;95(3):401-5. 
  3. Draisma G, Boer R, Otto SJ, et al. Lead times and overdetection due to prostate-specific antigen screening: estimates from the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 2003;95(12):868-78. 
  4. Kvåle R, Auvinen A, Adami HO, et al. Interpreting Trends in Prostate Cancer Incidence and Mortality in the Five Nordic Countries. J Natl Cancer Inst 2007;99(24):1881-87.
  5. Data were provided by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine on request, 2014.

About this data

Data is for: England and Wales, 1971-2011, ICD-10 C61

Last reviewed:

Survival for prostate cancer is related to the stage of the disease at diagnosis.

One-year net survival for prostate cancer is highest for patients diagnosed at stage I, and lowest for those diagnosed at stage IV, 2014 data for England show.[1] 101% of patients diagnosed at stage I survived their disease for at least one year, versus 85% patients diagnosed at stage IV.[1]

One-year net survival for unknown stage prostate cancer is 88%. Lack of staging information may in some cases reflect advanced stage at diagnosis: for example very unwell patients may not undergo staging tests if the invasiveness of the testing outweighs the potential benefit of obtaining stage information.[1]

Prostate Cancer (C61), One-Year Age Standardised Net Survival by Stage, Adults (Ages 15-99 Years), England 2014

One-year relative survival is similar between men living in the most and least deprived areas, at all stages, 2012 data for England show.[2]

Net survival can be greater than 100% because it accounts for background mortality. Net survival greater than 100% indicates that patients in this group have a better chance of surviving one year after diagnosis compared with the general population.

Five-year relative survival for prostate cancer ranges from more than 100% at Stage I to 30% at Stage IV for patients diagnosed during 2002-2006 in the former Anglia Cancer Network.[3]

Prostate Cancer (C61), Five-Year Relative Survival by Stage, Men (Aged 15-99 Years), Former Anglia Cancer Network, 2002-2006

See also

View our patient information on staging for bowel cancer

Prostate cancer incidence by stage at diagnosis

Implications of staging data

References

  1. Office for National Statistics, Cancer survival by stage at diagnosis for England, 2016.
  2. National Cancer Intelligence Network. Stage Breakdown by CCG 2013. London: NCIN; 2015.
  3. Data were provided by The National Cancer Registration Service, Eastern Office on request. Similar data can be found here: http://www.ncras.nhs.uk/ncrs-east/

About this data

Data is for: England, 2014 (one-year), Former Anglia Cancer Network, 2002-2006 (five-year), ICD-10 C61

Survival statistics give an overall picture of survival and the survival time experienced by an individual patient may be much higher or lower, depending on specific patient and tumour characteristics.

Last reviewed:

Five-year relative survival for prostate cancer in men in England (80%) is below the average for Europe (83%). Wales (78%), Scotland (79%) are also below the European average but Northern Ireland (83%) is similar to the European average.[1] Across the European countries for which data is available, five-year relative survival in men ranges from 51% (Bulgaria) to 90% (Austria).[1]

Prostate Cancer (C61.9), Age-Standardised Five-Year Relative Survival, Men (Aged 15+), European Countries, 2000-2007

Data consists of both observed and predicted 5-year relative survival. Where sufficient follow-up was not available for recently diagnosed patients the period approach was used to predict 5-year cohort survival.

Possible explanations for persistent international differences in survival include differences in cancer biology, use of diagnostic tests and screening, stage at diagnosis, access to high-quality care, and data collection practices.[1]

See also

Cancer diagnosis and treatment

Prostate cancer incidence

References

  1. De Angelis R, Sant M, Coleman MP, et al. Cancer survival in Europe 1999-2007 by country and age: results of EUROCARE-5, a population-based study. Lancet Oncol 2014;15:23-34

About this data

Data is for: 29 European countries, patients diagnosed in 2000-2007 and followed up to 2008, prostate cancer [ICD-O-3] (C61.9).

Last reviewed:

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Cancer stats explained

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the many organisations across the UK which collect, analyse, and share the data which we use, and to the patients and public who consent for their data to be used. Find out more about the sources which are essential for our statistics.