Prostate cancer is strongly related to age. It is rare in men under the age of 50 but becomes increasingly common as men get older.

Fewer than 9 men in every 100,000 between the ages of 44 and 49 develop prostate cancer each year. But, as men get older this risk increases. Between the ages of 55 and 59 about 114 men out of every 100,000 are diagnosed each year. This rises to 449 men out of every 100,000 between the ages of 65 to 69. And, by the time men are 85 or older about 894 out every 100,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.

These figures are for men diagnosed with prostate cancer. But, doctors think that many more men over the age of 50 have cancerous changes in the tissue of the prostate. And, that by the age of 80, as many as 60–70 out of every 100 men may have these changes. But, despite this only about 4 in every 100 men die from prostate cancer.

This means that some older men develop prostate cancers which cause symptoms and need treatment. But, many others develop prostate cancers which remain dormant, or inactive. These cancers cause no problems and have no effect on their natural life expectancy. So, men are more likely to die with prostate cancer than from it.