hmmm, not sure I've seen those statistics.
Most say this:
Prostate cancer survival rates are generally very good, especially when diagnosed and treated early. The five-year relative survival rate for all stages of prostate cancer is 97%, and the ten-year survival rate is 98%. However, survival rates can vary based on the stage of the cancer at diagnosis.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Localized (confined to the prostate): Nearly 100% five-year survival rate.
Regional (spread to nearby lymph nodes): Also nearly 100% five-year survival rate.
Distant (spread to other parts of the body): 37% five-year relative survival rate.
All stages combined: 97% five-year relative survival rate.
It is in part why people say, "you have the good cancer...!" That of course is an oxymoron, there is no good cancer...
Survival Rates by Age:
In general, men aged 65-69 tend to have the highest 5-year survival rates for prostate cancer (99.6%).
Men younger than 50 and older than 80 have slightly lower 10-year relative survival rates, likely due to a combination of factors. Younger men may be diagnosed at later stages due to less frequent screening in that age group, while older men might have other health issues that impact survival.
Factors Influencing Survival:
Stage of Cancer: This is a crucial factor, as early detection significantly improves the chances of survival.
Tumor Grade (Gleason Score): Higher grade tumors (indicating more aggressive cancer cells) are associated with lower survival rates. For example, the 10-year prostate cancer-specific survival rate for men with Gleason score 8-10 was 69.9% compared to 98.4% for those with Gleason score 2-6.
Age and Overall Health: Younger and healthier men may be better able to tolerate treatment and have a better prognosis.
Race/Ethnicity: While overall survival rates have improved, some disparities exist. Historically, survival has been lower in African American men compared to white men, though this gap has narrowed.
PSA Level: Higher PSA levels at diagnosis are generally associated with a poorer prognosis.
Disease Progression and Recurrence: If the cancer returns or spreads after treatment, survival rates decrease.
Smoking: Smoking can negatively impact prostate cancer survival
As to the statistics, well, other have said and you get no disagreement from me, they are historical, they are population based and they generally do not reflect the advances brought about by medical research that change the treatment paradigms.
The 5-year relative survival rate for stage 4 prostate cancer, according to the SEER data, is around 30-32% according to SERO and the American Cancer Society https://treatcancer.com/blog/prostate-cancer-survival-rates/.
I am agreeing that these number are now obsolete. With the advancement of treatments the 5 year survival rate for stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer has raised significantly.
What I was trying to communicate is that the SEER data was primarily not solely based on ADT as the main treatment.
The stats for triplet therapy are still coming into focus and are much better than the SEER data statistics.
The point I am trying to make is this, when I was diagnosed the Oncologist told me, do not look on the internet for how long you can live with stage 4 prostate cancer. Those stats are old and now obsolete due to the advances in the last 6 years. I was told everyone's different and if I responded it was possible to treat this disease as a chronic illness. That was in 2022.
To me that is encouraging and makes me feel I have hope for the future. There is hope.