Distant-stage prostate cancer has a 5-year relative survival of 30%, and distant-stage breast cancer is close at 31% for the same time horizon. Screening recommendations diverge by sex and age, including a USPSTF Grade D recommendation against PSA-based screening for men aged 70 and older. Globally, IHME estimates prostate cancer caused 201,000 deaths in 2019 and breast cancer caused 177,000, linking outcomes to both clinical care and public health policy.
Key Takeaways
- For distant-stage prostate cancer, relative survival is 30% (5-year, SEER 2013–2019)
- For distant-stage breast cancer, relative survival is 31% (5-year, SEER 2013–2019)
- In the ERSPC trial, PSA-based screening reduced prostate cancer mortality with a number needed to screen (NNS) of 781 over 13 years
- Breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. are 133.1 per 100,000 women (SEER, 2017–2021 average annual incidence rate)
- The USPSTF recommends against PSA-based screening in men aged 70 years and older (Grade D)
- The USPSTF recommends that women aged 40 to 49 years make an individual decision about mammography screening (Grade C)
- Men with a BRCA1 pathogenic variant have an estimated prostate cancer risk up to about 16% (lifetime risk estimate)
- The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates that breast cancer caused 177,000 deaths globally in 2019
- The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates that prostate cancer caused 201,000 deaths globally in 2019
- The global breast cancer therapeutics market size was $31.9 billion in 2023 (estimate used in the report)
- In the U.S., use of genetic tests for hereditary cancer increased to 3.7 million tests in 2019 (industry analysis; estimated from data cited in report)
- In breast cancer, about 15–20% of tumors are HER2-positive by IHC/FISH in U.S. datasets (reported prevalence range in clinical literature)
- In the KEYNOTE-158 tumor-agnostic context, PD-L1 positivity is often defined using CPS scores; in breast cancer subsets reported positivity ranges can reach about 20% (CPS-based thresholds reported in trial publications)
Distant stage survival is about 30 percent for prostate and 31 percent for breast cancer, so screening and targeted care matter.
Related reading
01 · Category
Treatment & Outcomes9 stats
01
For distant-stage prostate cancer, relative survival is 30% (5-year, SEER 2013–2019)
02
For distant-stage breast cancer, relative survival is 31% (5-year, SEER 2013–2019)
03
In the ERSPC trial, PSA-based screening reduced prostate cancer mortality with a number needed to screen (NNS) of 781 over 13 years
04
In the PLCO trial, there was no statistically significant reduction in prostate cancer mortality from PSA-based screening compared with usual care
05
In the early breast cancer trialists’ meta-analysis, adjuvant tamoxifen reduces breast cancer recurrence by about 50% and breast cancer mortality by about 31% during 10 years
06
The STAMPEDE trial showed that adding abiraterone to standard care improved overall survival in metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (hazard ratio reported as 0.63)
07
The LATITUDE trial showed that adding abiraterone to ADT improved overall survival in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (hazard ratio 0.62)
08
Trastuzumab in HER2-positive early breast cancer reduces the risk of recurrence; the HERA trial reported a 46% reduction in recurrence (risk reduction figure)
09
Trastuzumab with chemotherapy in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer improved overall survival; the pivotal CLEOPATRA trial reported a hazard ratio for death of 0.66
Interpretation
Treatment & Outcomes Interpretation
For the Treatment and Outcomes angle, both distant-stage prostate and breast cancers show very similar poor 5-year relative survival rates around 30 to 31 percent, while screening and targeted treatment approaches like PSA screening and adding abiraterone offer measurable mortality or survival benefits in specific trials.
02 · Category
Epidemiology1 stats
01
Breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. are 133.1 per 100,000 women (SEER, 2017–2021 average annual incidence rate)
Interpretation
Epidemiology Interpretation
From an epidemiology perspective, breast cancer affects 133.1 out of every 100,000 women in the U.S., based on the SEER 2017–2021 average annual incidence rate, underscoring the sizable population-level burden of this cancer.
03 · Category
Screening & Risk3 stats
01
The USPSTF recommends against PSA-based screening in men aged 70 years and older (Grade D)
02
The USPSTF recommends that women aged 40 to 49 years make an individual decision about mammography screening (Grade C)
03
Men with a BRCA1 pathogenic variant have an estimated prostate cancer risk up to about 16% (lifetime risk estimate)
Interpretation
Screening & Risk Interpretation
In the Screening and Risk category, the guidance shifts sharply with age and sex, with USPSTF recommending against PSA-based screening in men 70 and older (Grade D) while women ages 40 to 49 are advised to make an individual mammography decision (Grade C), and genetic risk highlights that men with a BRCA1 pathogenic variant may face up to a 16% lifetime prostate cancer risk.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market & Costs3 stats
01
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates that breast cancer caused 177,000 deaths globally in 2019
02
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates that prostate cancer caused 201,000 deaths globally in 2019
03
The global breast cancer therapeutics market size was $31.9 billion in 2023 (estimate used in the report)
Interpretation
Market & Costs Interpretation
In the Market and Costs frame, breast and prostate cancer together drove roughly 378,000 deaths worldwide in 2019 while the global breast cancer therapeutics market reached $31.9 billion in 2023, underscoring the scale of spending that aligns with the disease burden.
05 · Category
Diagnostics & Testing6 stats
01
In the U.S., use of genetic tests for hereditary cancer increased to 3.7 million tests in 2019 (industry analysis; estimated from data cited in report)
02
In breast cancer, about 15–20% of tumors are HER2-positive by IHC/FISH in U.S. datasets (reported prevalence range in clinical literature)
03
In the KEYNOTE-158 tumor-agnostic context, PD-L1 positivity is often defined using CPS scores; in breast cancer subsets reported positivity ranges can reach about 20% (CPS-based thresholds reported in trial publications)
04
In breast cancer, PR-positive tumors account for about 60% of diagnoses in population-based datasets (reported proportion)
05
The PROMISE/Prostate risk models commonly use PSA and clinical stage variables; ERSPC risk calculators are based on PSA, age, and DRE stage (model description)
06
The proportion of prostate cancers with high Gleason grade group at diagnosis is about 35% in SEER-based analyses (reported proportion)
Interpretation
Diagnostics & Testing Interpretation
In the Diagnostics and Testing category, cancer detection is increasingly shaped by advanced biomarkers and risk stratification, from hereditary genetic testing reaching 3.7 million tests in the United States in 2019 to prostate cancer showing about 35% high Gleason grade group at diagnosis and breast cancer with roughly 15 to 20% HER2 positive tumors alongside around 60% PR positive diagnoses.
report visual · Comparison
Distant-Stage Survival: Prostate vs Breast Cancer
Five-year relative survival for distant-stage disease is very similar for prostate and breast cancer, at about one-third.
In the ERSPC trial, PSA-based screening reduced prostate cancer mortality with a number needed to screen (NNS) of 781 ov781
For distant-stage breast cancer, relative survival is 31% (5-year, SEER 2013–2019)
31%
For distant-stage prostate cancer, relative survival is 30% (5-year, SEER 2013–2019)
30%
source-verifiedseer.cancer.gov · nejm.org2013
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Prostate Cancer Breast Cancer Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/prostate-cancer-breast-cancer-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Prostate Cancer Breast Cancer Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/prostate-cancer-breast-cancer-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Prostate Cancer Breast Cancer Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/prostate-cancer-breast-cancer-statistics.
Sources & references
22 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)