Follow the Guidelines, Better Prognosis for Men With Prostate Cancer

Most men who are treated for prostate cancer according to guidelines have good survival rates, and these men will likely die of causes other than prostate cancer, according to recently published data from Uppsala University researchers in Sweden.¹

The researchers used data from the Prostate Cancer Data Base Sweden, which contains information from the Swedish National Prostate Cancer Register and other health data registers. The research centered on men who had received the recommended treatment for prostate cancer that had not spread in the body. Using statistical modeling, the researchers estimated the lifetime risk of dying of prostate cancer and other causes.

For men with low-risk cancer and short life expectancy (<10 years), the risk of dying of prostate cancer was 11%, and the risk of dying of other causes was 89% within 30 years of diagnosis.

For men with high-risk cancer (eg, stage T3, prostate-specific antigen 30 ng/mL, and Gleason score 8) and a life expectancy >15 years, the risk of dying of prostate cancer was 34%, and the risk of dying of other causes was 55% within 30 years of diagnosis.

“We were surprised by how much life expectancy affected the prognosis. This shows the importance of a thorough assessment of the general health of a man with newly diagnosed prostate cancer. The patient’s life expectancy has a substantial impact on the choice of appropriate treatment strategy,” Marcus Westerberg, PhD, researcher at the Department of Surgical Sciences at Uppsala University, who led the study, explained in a statement about the study results.²

“We hope that our results will be used to provide a realistic picture of the prognosis for men with prostate cancer. Our study shows that most men who receive the recommended treatment have a good prognosis,” Dr Westerberg said.

References

1. Scilipoti P, Bratt O, Garmo H, et al. Long-term outcomes after guideline-recommended treatment of men with prostate cancer. J Natl Compr Canc Netn. 2025;23:e257022.
2. Backstrom E. Good prognosis for men with prostate cancer treated according to guidelines [news release]. July 17, 2025. Accessed August 15, 2025. www.uu.se/en/news/2025/2025-07-17-good-prognosis-for-men-with-prostate-cancer-treated-according-to-guidelines