Even so, only about 32,000 men actually die of the disease, most of those with advanced prostate cancer. These figures prove that a diagnosis of cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence or even reduce life expectancy. There are so many variables that can affect the life expectancy of men with this cancer. Among those variables are type of treatment chosen, age, the stage of cancer (from early to late stage). Family history can even be a vital factor. Weight and diet are significant variables. Prostate cancer survival is dependent on all of these factors.
For those with early stage cancer, complete cure and a normal life expectancy are possible. The catch here of course is that early stage prostate cancer can be hard to detect. Even if tests come back positive, many doctors take a watchful stance. This is because early stage prostate cancer can grow very slowly. If a patient is young, it may be necessary to eventually seek treatment. But an older patient with a very slow growing cancer may have time to wait, never need significant treatment and still have a normal life span.
One tool that is used to assess how quickly the cancer grows is called the Gleason Grade or Score and it is used by cancer specialists, including pathologists, to determine how quickly prostate cancer is growing. Early stage cancer, those within the prostate, have the best chances for cure and normal life expectancy. Extracapsular cancers have spread beyond the prostate and later stage cancers have probably spread to the lymph nodes, making prognosis for a normal lifespan much lower.
The good news is that men who have localized prostate cancer (not outside the prostate gland) have a survival rate of 100% for the next five years – and, possibly, a normal lifespan. Even with more advanced types of prostate cancer, there are variables that can affect mortality rates. Stress reduction, dietary changes, exercise, being part of support groups and even staying on top of the newest research and medical trials can make a huge difference.
Factors beyond control include age, race, stage of cancer and how quickly it is growing – and more. However, online support groups can link men with others who are finding and testing new ways to expandt their life expectancy. Many charts and tables also exist online, some of which can make it seem like a patient’s life expectancy is very low for certain types of prostate cancer. None of these should keep patients from being pro-active and taking a positive stance in fighting prostate cancer. New treatments are being developed daily, and prostate cancer survival are rising offering hope to men in every stage of the disease.