Prostate cancer in Canada

Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada

Published: March 2021

Prostate cancer develops in the cells of the prostate. Changes in these cells can lead to benign (non-cancerous) or precancerous conditions. In some cases, these tumours could become malignant (cancerous).

The data ^{Footnote 1},^{Footnote 2}

• Prostate cancer is the 4^th most common cancer in Canada
• 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime
• About 23,300 men will have been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020
• In men, prostate cancer is the #1 cancer
• 99% of cases occur in men aged 50+

Risk factors include^{Footnote *}

• Aging
• Family history
• Racial or cultural background
• Inherited gene mutations

Screening and detection ^{Footnote 2},^{Footnote 3}

• 74% of prostate cancers are diagnosed early at Stage I and II
• The probability of surviving prostate cancer at least five years after diagnosis is about 93% in Canada

Screening for prostate cancer using the Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test is not recommended.

The screening guidelines above are available from the Canadian task Force on Preventive Health Care.

Notes:

Statistics for lifetime probability, stage and survival exclude Quebec. Stage statistics include individuals aged 18 to 79 years at diagnosis and survival statistics include individuals aged 15 to 99 years at diagnosis. Unless specified, statistics include all stages combined.

Learn more about prostate cancer:

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Health, 2020 | Cat.: HP35-83/4-2020E-PDF | ISBN: 978-0-660-35273-2 | Pub.: 200093