What Is Prostate Cancer and Can You Die From It?

How common is prostate cancer?

Very common. Other than skin cancer, it's the most common cancer in American men — the American Cancer Society estimates about 334,000 new cases in 2026. About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed at some point in his life, most often after age 65.

But here's the reassuring part: most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it. More than 3.5 million men in the U.S. who have had prostate cancer are alive today.

Who is more likely to get prostate cancer?

Age is the biggest factor — risk rises sharply after 50, and most cases are found after 65. Autopsy studies tell the deeper story: up to 80% of men over 80 have prostate cancer cells in the prostate at autopsy, most never knowing it in life.

But two groups face notably higher risk of the kind that matters. Black men are about 70% more likely to be diagnosed than White men, and about twice as likely to die from the disease — and it tends to appear at younger ages. Family history matters too: having a father or brother with prostate cancer roughly doubles your risk.

If you're in either group, it's worth talking about screening earlier — often starting around 40 to 45 rather than 50.

How often has prostate cancer spread by the time it's found?

Not often. About 7 in 10 prostate cancers are found while still confined to the prostate, and roughly another 1 in 10 has reached only nearby tissue. Both are caught at a stage where five-year survival is above 99%.

Only about 1 in 10 has spread to distant sites, like the bones, by the time it's diagnosed. That's the number that drives everything I do — finding it while it's still curable. Even when it has spread, treatment has improved substantially, but the odds are overwhelmingly better when we catch it early.

Can you die from prostate cancer?

Yes — and it's important to be honest about that. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. About 1 in 44 men will die from it — roughly 36,000 deaths a year.

But keep the scale in view: about 1 in 8 men are diagnosed, and only about 1 in 44 die from it. The vast majority live full lives. And the death rate has fallen by about half since the early 1990s, largely because we're finding it earlier and treating it better.

That's the whole point of what I do: find it early, so it has minimal impact on your quality of life.

By Chad Ellimoottil, MD — urologist at Michigan Medicine specializing in prostate cancer detection.

Disclaimer: This information is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional about any medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment decision.