The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) publishes statistics on the incidence of prostate cancer among Australian men.

The AIHW has estimated that in 2019 prostate cancer will be the most commonly diagnosed cancer among males.  It has suggested that this may be related to the higher levels of PSA testing since this was introduced in 1987. This, in turn, may have led to earlier detection of the disease.

The AIHW has also estimated that there will be around 3,600 deaths from prostate cancer in Australia in 2019 (a 1 in 35 risk to age 85), slightly higher than the number of women who are estimated to die from breast cancer.

Fortunately, prostate cancer is often very slow growing and therefore many men will survive their cancer for many years. For example, the AIHW has reported that the five-year ‘relative survival rate’ for prostate cancer in 2011 to 2015 was 95%. This indicates that five years after a diagnosis of prostate cancer, about 95% of such men had survived. This compares very favourably with five-year relative survival rates for other types of cancer. 

These statistics are taken from the AIHW’s publication, Cancer in Australia 2019.

For further statistical information on prostate cancer, see https://prostate-cancer.canceraustralia.gov.au/statistics.