September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

join with the aacr to HELP find better ways to prevent and treat prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer (other than non-melanoma skin cancer) diagnosed in men in the United States. Furthermore, it’s the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, after lung cancer, in the United States.

The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It’s about the size of a walnut and surrounds part of the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder). The prostate gland produces fluid that makes up part of semen. 

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), almost all prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas. These cancers begin in cells that make and release mucus and other fluids. Prostate cancer often has no early symptoms. While advanced prostate cancer can cause men to urinate more often or have a weaker flow of urine, these symptoms can also result from benign prostate conditions.

screening and incidence

Screening options for prostate cancer, which include a digital rectal exam and a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), often catch the disease before it spreads. As a result, the five-year survival rate is 98.2%.

The NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program estimated that 333,830 men in the United States would receive a diagnosis of prostate cancer in 2026. Furthermore, the NCI projected that 36,320 men would die of the disease.

According to SEER, prostate cancer is more common in older men, men with a family history of prostate cancer, and in men of African American descent. Other risk factors for prostate cancer include certain hormones, vitamin E, folic acid, and a high intake of dairy and calcium. In the United States, about 13.2% of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their lifetimes. 

Black men have the highest death rate for prostate cancer of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. Statistics show that in 2018-2022, Black men were about twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men. Scientists believe the disparity stems from both genetic and socioeconomic factors.

Prostate Cancer Survivor stories

After Freddie Muse, Jr, received a diagnosis of prostate cancer as part of a routine health screening, he dedicated himself to making the men in his community aware of prostate cancer—which led to his founding of The Men’s Cancer Network, Inc. Learn more about his story in the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2026.

Robert Ginyard dedicated himself to living life to the fullest after being diagnosed with prostate cancer and completing treatment, as encapsulated by his motto, “Dream it. Believe it. Do it. Be it”—or “DiBi DiBi” for shot. Read his story in the AACR’s magazine Cancer Today: The Ripple Effect.

More on prostate cancer

  • The FDA approved the injectable targeted radiotherapy lutetium Lu-177 vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto) to treat metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in 2022, and in 2026, the drug was also approved to treat patients with metastatic androgen pathway modulation-naïve or -sensitive (mAPMN/S) prostate cancer (previously known as metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer). Cancer Today looked at what this treatment option has meant to patients since its initial approval and how researchers are exploring new ways to deliver similar types of therapy.
  • Clinicians calculate what is known as a Gleason score to help determine the aggressiveness of a prostate tumor. Cancer Research Catalyst, the AACR’s official blog, offered an explainer for how a Gleason score is calculated, what the score means, and how it may influence treatment decisions.
  • For men with slow-growing, low-risk disease, active surveillance—regular PSA tests, imaging, and biopsies in place of immediate surgery or radiation—has become a standard option that avoids or delays the urinary and sexual side effects of treatment. Cancer Today explains how men and their doctors work together to decide when to watch and wait, as well as what triggers a switch to active treatment.
  • Cancer Today reports on a study that showed how a medication used to treat overactive bladder was successful in treating patients with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy for hot flashes—a common side effect of the treatment.
  • Michael A. Nutter, the former mayor of Philadelphia, is a prostate cancer survivor who was recognized with a humanitarian award for his advocacy work and years of dedication to bettering the city. Cancer Research Catalyst interviewed him about his achievements and message for other men with prostate cancer.

What AACR IS Doing in Prostate Cancer Research

Prostate-focused Conferences 

In January 2026, AACR held the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Innovations in Prostate Cancer Research and Treatment in Boston. This conference brought together leading experts to explore the latest advances in prostate cancer research, from basic biology to clinical applications, including key developments in androgen receptor biology, treatment resistance mechanisms, and novel therapeutics.  

Supporting Research 

In 2026, Samir Zaidi, MD, PhD, of the Yale School of Medicine, received an AACR Trailblazer Research Grant for Early-Stage Investigators. His research aims to identify druggable targets in JAK-high prostate cancer that could be used to induce synthetic lethality in the cancer cells. He also investigates how prostate adenocarcinoma can progress to neuroendocrine prostate cancer, an aggressive and lethal form of the disease.  

for more information

Please see the page on prostate cancer for more information about prevention, screening, and treatment.