Community Views: Age Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer

3 min read

All men are at risk for prostate cancer. And while the condition is more common in older men, prostate cancer does not discriminate based on age. It is something that men of all ages should be aware of.

We wanted to learn more about the diagnosis experiences of our community members, so we turned to followers of our Facebook page. We asked you to tell us: “At what age were you first diagnosed with prostate cancer?”

Nearly 150 community members responded. Here is what was shared.

Receiving a diagnosis in your 40s

It is rare to receive a prostate cancer diagnosis when in your 40s, but it is not impossible. Many men in the community shared that they learned of their diagnosis during this time. This can be a good reminder that prostate cancer screening can be a good idea, even when you are in your 40s.

“Sadly, at age 47. Still here at 64.”

“At age 40, with a Gleason score of 9.”

“47.”

In your 50s

Without a doubt, the most common answer in this community was receiving your diagnosis while in your 50s. For the majority of you, the diagnosis showed up as the result of a routine test – which proves how important these regular rests are. Finding out early is the best way to treat prostate cancer so you can take steps to live a long, healthy life.

“At age 52, with no history of prostate cancer in my family.”

“At age 58. I should have been getting tested earlier since my dad and my brother both had it. I guess I thought I was invincible.”

“I was 57 years old, in good health, and with no symptoms.”

“I was 50 when I was diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer and my Gleason rate around 6.”

“I was 50. My PSA started to go up, so I had a radical prostatectomy.”

“At 52 years. Aggressive stage 4 with metastatic bone cancer. Prostate removed in May 2014. Fast-forward to today, and I am still doing well.”

“At age 52. My primary physician saved my life. I had no medical history due to adoption, so back when I was 45 he tested me because he wanted a baseline. It was always above normal 1.0 + but never high.”

“At age 52 from a routine PSA test.”

Diagnosed in your 60s

Many men in the community shared that they were diagnosed in their 60s. They did not experience any symptoms until this decade, if at all. Routine testing uncovered the condition for most.

“I was diagnosed 5 weeks short of my 69th birthday thanks to my PSA going from 0.6 to 2.7 in 2 years. And I had a prostatectomy 5 days before my 69th birthday.”

“At age 63, and I am 72 now.”

“I was 60.”

“At age 61.”

At or after age 70

There is no age when prostate cancer stops being a possible threat. Many men in the community shared that they did not discover they had prostate cancer until they were in their 70s. In some cases, there were symptoms that pointed to prostate cancer. However, most said they received the diagnosis following the results of routine testing.

“I was diagnosed at age 73 after complaints of slow urine flow.”

“I was diagnosed at 77, but I believe my urologist would have found it a year earlier if he had done a biopsy instead of watching the PSA for a few more months.”

“I was biopsied at 60 years and at 70 years, and then at age 78, found cancer.”

“I was 73 years old, in good health, and with no symptoms.”

Thank you to everyone who shared their stories. We are grateful to hear from so many community members and your willingness to help others facing prostate cancer.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The ProstateCancer.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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Beverly Baldwin Moderator & Contributor
This is great information to know! I wonder if there can be more research done to determine the age and effects on each demographic of men. The various age diagnosis goes to show that men must get annual checkups to maintain a healthy bill of health. Beverly (Prostatecancer.net Team)
kjfnjy Member
 Based on my personal experience (and I know an anecdote proves nothing), I wonder if the number of diagnoses among younger men is lower than the actual incidence of cancer in the population due to a tendency of doctors to assume something else, and not cancer, is causing the symptoms a patient reports if the patient is younger. I developed urination problems in my 30's and was treated on the assumption it was caused by some neurological issues since the doctor said I was "too young" for either cancer or BPH. With the same (poorly controlled) symptoms in my 40's, the diagnosis switched to BPH, which led to Finasteride, Flowmax, and other treatments, which also had little if any effect. In my 50's, my primary care physician referred me to a urologist who looked at my PSA of just over 4 and my age and said it was just BPH and upped my meds. I asked him about the fact that Finasteride, particularly when used long term, tends to artificially reduce PSA but he waved that aside as a myth. Just as an experiment, I stopped taking Finasteride. Going off it made no difference in my symptoms but three months later I asked my primary care physician to order a new PSA test and found it was 20. The ensuing months included surgery for Gleason 9 cancer, an almost immediate relapse with monthly PSA doubling, followed by radiation and ADT. I can't help but wonder how things might have turned out if a doctor had considered cancer as a possible explanation and performed a biopsy when I was younger.
Dennis E. Golden Moderator & Contributor
I fully agree with you on so many points. Also a Gleason 9 here and a low PSA of 2.7 that my GP was treating as if it was an enlarged prostate. I think starting at age 40 men need to start regular visits with a urologist vs using a GP for psa testing and digitals.