One in nine men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer but 3.1 million who have been diagnosed are still alive. *
“After age 50, men should be concerned about the risk of prostate cancer,”
Jesse Slome, director of the American Association of Critical Illness Insurance
PROSTATE CANCER STATISTICS 2020: Critical Illness Awareness Month News. October 12, 2020: Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. The American Cancer Society’s estimates about 191,930 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in men in 2020. About 33,330 deaths will be attributable to prostate cancer.
“Every day somewhere in the U.S. multiple men will hear the dreaded words, you have prostate cancer,” explains Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, “The good news is that many will survive as the five year survival rate can be extremely good.”
Prostate Cancer Statistics 2020 – New Rates
Around 60% of prostate cancer cases are diagnosed in men over 65. The average age of diagnosis is 66 years. The disease rarely occurs in those younger than 40.
The number of new cases diagnosed in black men is 60% higher than to the number of new cases diagnosed in white men.
Prostate Cancer Survival Rates – 2020
The 5-year survival rate for most men with local or regional prostate cancer is nearly 100%. For men diagnosed with prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate is 31%. The 10-year survival rate for local, regional, and distant prostate cancer combined is 98%. The numbers below are based on men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2009 and 2015. To learn more go to the American Cancer Society website.
| SEER Stage | 5-year Relative Survival Rate |
| Localized | Nearly 100% |
| Regional | Nearly 100% |
| Distant | 31% |
| All SEER stages combined | 98% |
Prostate cancer awareness and planning is paramount for men
“After age 50, men should be concerned about the risk of prostate cancer,” explains Slome, director of the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. “During Critical Illness Awareness Month we hope to do all we can to raise awareness of the issues and options available.”
For men a modest cancer insurance policy or a more comprehensive critical illness insurance can cover costs not covered by their health insurance. It can also replace lost income especially important for the growing number of gig economy workers. “What I like to say is that critical illness insurance allows you to focus on your recovery not worry about the bills piling up,” adds AACII’s Slome.
Cancer Cost Calculator shows cost for $10,000 of cancer insurance
The American Association for Critical Illness insurance provides a Cost Calculator that gives a pretty accurate example of costs for $10,000 or cancer insurance protection. “Men who are between the ages of 40 and 60 should learn more about the enormous potential benefits of having even a small amount of cancer insurance,” Slome concludes.
Source: American Cancer Society
Photo Credit: Image by marijana1 from Pixabay
Cancer survival 2020: Access other cancer facts and data on the Association’s website.
