Your Prostate Cancer Prognosis: Facts, Precautions, and Care
It might sound like good news to Michigan men: Only 3.26% of all the prostate cancers expected in the U.S. in 2025 will be diagnosed in the Wolverine State. However, if you are among those 10,230 new cases, the news you really want likely involves your prostate cancer prognosis.
After all, that prognosis depends on a multitude of factors outside of the state where you live. Timing is essential, for example. When caught early, prostate cancer is highly treatable – nearly all men diagnosed in the beginning stages live to tell their cancer-recovery stories.
But age, race, and genetics also play significant roles in your prostate cancer prognosis. And, importantly, so do your lifestyle habits between the diagnosis and that hopeful recovery.
Take, for example, the results of this 2024 study reported in JAMA: It’s estimated that one-third of early prostate cancer deaths among men with high genetic risks could have been averted through healthier lifestyles. This includes asking your doctor about when you should get a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test.
Behind the Prostate Cancer Prognosis: The Prostate’s Role
The prostate is small, but it plays a key part in both reproductive and urinary health. In terms of sexual reproduction, the prostate makes the nourishing fluid sperm need to survive. As for the urinary system, the prostate is in a pivotal location that can affect urination: beneath the bladder and around the urethra.
Prostate cancer, therefore, can compromise your urinary and reproductive systems.
Like most cancers, prostate cancer is the result of cells acting abnormally: multiplying out of control and not dying off when they should, due to changes in DNA information. In time, these fast-growing cells form a mass that can spread to other parts of the body tissue.
Generally, prostate cancer is slow-growing. Its most common symptoms are:
- A weak urine flow and trouble holding it in.
- Needing to urinate more often, especially at night.
- Difficulty having bowel movements.
- Blood in your urine or semen.
- Pain in the lower back and/or bones.
If you recognize these symptoms, it is likely time to see a doctor for a screening. Doing so can improve your prostate cancer diagnosis.
The Diagnostic Factors Behind a Prostate Cancer Prognosis
Your doctor will establish your prostate cancer prognosis by measuring the tumor’s aggressiveness and then specifying the cancer’s clinical stage.
The cancer’s aggressiveness is calculated using a system called the Gleason score, which grades the cancer cells from 2 to 10. The higher the score, the more likely the cancer will grow quickly and spread.
The tumor stage records where the cancer has spread and how it was detected, such as through a biopsy and imaging. The American Cancer Society provides the following survival rates for the stages of prostate cancer:
Stage I: The cancer is only in the prostate. In this stage, the five-year survival rate is greater than 99%.
Stage II: The tumor has advanced, but not outside of the prostate. The prostate cancer prognosis for survival remains above 99%.
Stage III: The cancer cells have penetrated the gland and spread to surrounding areas, such as the rectum, bladder, and seminal vesicles. The five-year survival rate dips to 95%.
Stage IV: The cancer has advanced into the lymph nodes and/or other organs, including bones. The prostate cancer is more aggressive now, and the prognosis for five-year survival is 37%.
The good news here is that more than nine in 10 prostate cancer patients are diagnosed in Stages I through III. This places the overall odds of survival very high: After 10 years, the average patient’s prostate cancer prognosis for survival is 98%, and after 15 years, 95%.
Factors That Influence Your Prostate Cancer Prognosis
While doctors rely on the Gleason score and cancer stages to anticipate a prostate cancer prognosis, they also must consider certain risks that can make you susceptible to cancer. Among them:
Immediate family members have prostate cancer. If your brother or father has had prostate cancer, you’re at twice the risk of developing the disease. Probability rises if they are young when diagnosed.
Genetic conditions were passed from parents. Children can inherit certain gene mutations, such as Lynch syndrome, which can make them more vulnerable to cancer. Ask your doctor at Michigan Institute of Urology about genetic testing for cancer.
You are Black or of African American descent. If you are a Black man younger than 50, you should ask your doctor about a PSA test. Not only are Black and African American men nearly 80% more likely to develop prostate cancer than White men, their mortality rate is more than twice as high.
Your baseline PSA reading. The PSA prostate test screens your blood for antigen levels, an indicator of cancer. Historically, doctors considered 4 nanograms of antigen per milliliter of blood to be normal. But “normal” can vary from man to man, making a timely first PSA screening – the baseline – important for accuracy. Changes in follow-up tests could suggest cancer risk.
Your age at diagnosis. It might not surprise you that men older than 80 have the highest prostate cancer mortality rates – but so do men younger than 50, according to WebMD. The reason is fewer young men seek screening, giving cancer time to spread.
Steps You Can Take to Improve Your Prostate Cancer Prognosis
Here’s possibly the best news: You can help boost your prostate cancer prognosis through mindful habits. Talk to your doctor about each of the following:
- Stepping up your activity. Exercising benefits your overall health, helps manage weight, and improves your mood, leading to a more optimistic outlook.
- Lean into whole foods. Resist the temptation of red meat, processed foods, and animal fats (including high-fat dairy). Replace these foods with a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
- Butts out. Do not smoke, and avoid others who do. Prostate cancer is more likely to spread in people who smoke.
Lastly, establish an accurate PSA baseline. A PSA screening can save your life – one report found that PSA tests prevented one prostate cancer death in every 11 to 14 men. If you are at high risk of prostate cancer or older than 50, ask your doctor about getting a PSA screening today.
Learn how the physicians at Michigan Institute or Urology diagnose and treat prostate cancer here. If you would like a consultation, request an appointment at one of our 15 Southeast Michigan locations.
