Your urologist has just lowered the boom. You have prostate cancer, one of the most common forms of malignancy.

We are not alone!
Every year, 180,000 of us are given the same news, and every year, 30,000 of us will die from the disease, making prostate cancer number two in the list of cancers that kill men, right behind lung cancer. There is good news for us: when caught early, prostate cancer is extremely treatable.

• 99% of us will survive at least five years after diagnosis
• 92% will survive at least ten years
• 61% will survive longer than 15 years.

In fact, because prostate cancer is one of the slowest-growing forms of cancer. Chances are that most of us -- especially if we're older when diagnosed -- will ultimately die of something other than our malignancy.

We are survivors!
Some of the men who have not only survived prostate cancer, but thrived afterwards include:

• Harry Belafonte, singer
• Bob Dole, former US senator and presidential candidate
• Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam
• Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City
• John Kerry, presidential candidate
• Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa
• Arnold Palmer, golfer
• Colin Powell, former Secretary of State
• Norman Schwarzkopf, retired Army General
• Joe Torre, New York Yankees' manager

Take comfort in their stories. They may help you figure out how to treat your own disease and better understand what kind of effect cancer will have on the rest of your life.

You probably have many questions. wikiCancer is here to help. If you have answers, please contribute to this site. It can make a big difference to someone else in the same boat.

See also

• Prostate cancer - symptoms
• Prostate cancer - causes and risk factors
• Prostate cancer - detection
• Prostate cancer - diagnosis
• Prostate cancer - treatment options
• Prostate cancer - coping with the aftermath
• Prostate cancer - finding support
• Prostate cancer - Up-to-Date Info
  
• Prostate Cancer Treatment and Support Malecare is the nationals leading nonprofit prostate cancer support and treatment information service organization. Website is huge and updated frequently.
• John survives prostate cancer - shared story
• Steve S. and prostate survivor - shared story