Prostate Cancer Survivors May Now Live Longer

Statistics suggest a diagnosis of the disease may act as a wake up call making patients more likely to keep a close eye on their health and improve their lifestyle. Figures from the Office for National Statistics estimate how survival from a variety of cancers ranges depending on when they were diagnosed.

Men had a five year survival rate 0.05% higher than those of the same age in the general population when prostate cancer was diagnosed early on in stage one; cases diagnosed at stage one and stage two are now achieving 5 years survival rate of 100%. When diagnosed at stage 3 the five year survival rate is 96.5%, with survival rate being 47.7% for those who are diagnosed later on; overall survival rate across all stages has increased from 80.2% in 2006 to 87.1% now.

Updated UK cancer survival statistics highlight the importance of catching prostate cancer early on, yet nearly 40% of cases are caught at late stage when the chances of survival for 5-10 years are greatly reduced, says Karen Stalbow of Prostate Cancer UK.

These findings follow a series of breakthroughs in treatment for advanced prostate cancer as well as efforts to diagnose the disease earlier. Survival chances for men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer appear to be even higher than men without a diagnosis, and indicate diagnosis can lead to better personal healthcare and healthier lifestyles.

Prostate cancer can be aggressive, some may not cause any symptoms, and some men may even survive without treatment depending on form, but it is not possible to distinguish between the two types using current blood testing for prostate specific antigens. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, 1 in 8 will be diagnosed in their lifetime, 84% live 10+ years after diagnosis which on average happens between the ages of 65-69.

Overall figures provided a mixed picture for several cancers for 5 year survival rates: breast cancer is down from 85.6% to 85.3%: bowel cancer dropped from 59.2% to 58%; melanoma survival rate are 93.9% for women and 89.2% for men; and cancers of the pancreas are 6.4% for men and 7.5% for women.