Prostate Cancer Mortality in Patients Surviving More Than 10 Years After Diagnosis

PURPOSE: We investigated the long-term outcome of prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Causes of death were examined in 490 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer in Göteborg between 1960 and 1979 who survived for longer than 10 years. RESULTS: Of the patients 75 were alive and 415 died, including 62% as a direct or indirect consequence of prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Early prostate cancer is a slow growing but progressive malignant disease that will, if the patient survives long enough, kill the host.