New data shows more men are living longer with incurable prostate cancer thanks to treatment breakthroughs

Being told that your cancer cannot be cured is devastating, but new data brings a glimmer of hope as it shows that new treatments are helping extend lives.  

This encouraging news was shared by the National Prostate Cancer Audit (NPCA) in their latest report, where they found significantly fewer men diagnosed with incurable advanced prostate cancer in 2022 were dying within three years of diagnosis, than men diagnosed a decade ago. 

The data highlights the positive impact of research in helping drive innovation and improvement in treatment – progress that's been greatly helped by the £50m we've invested into research to save and extend the lives of men with advanced disease. 

New treatments are giving men more years

The latest figures show a fall in the number of men dying from advanced prostate cancer three-years post diagnosis, a trend that has emerged alongside major advances in how the disease is treated. 

In the report, analysis of more than 45,000 men diagnosed with incurable advanced prostate cancer found that the proportion who died within three years fell to less than half for the first time, dropping from 56% in 2015 to 47% in 2022.1  This means thousands more men are now enjoying longer lives since the study first started in 2015. 

These numbers reflect just how far treatment has come, with men now able to access options that weren't available just a few years ago. For example, a decade ago, access to docetaxel on the NHS was something we had to lobby for. We campaigned to make the treatment available for men with advanced disease; today, it's the most commonly used chemotherapy for advanced prostate cancer. 

Speaking about what this progress means, Natalia Norori, our Head of Data & Evidence said: "As the largest public funder of prostate cancer research, we’re proud that our work funding and supporting researchers to deliver exciting new treatments and then campaigning to make sure men can access them on the NHS is helping so many men live longer." 

A changing outlook for men with advanced prostate cancer

For 61-year-old Kevin Webber, these advances have changed his outlook on life and living with prostate cancer. Diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer twelve years ago, he was told he'd probably have just two years to live. 

Since then, he's defied that prognosis in extraordinary fashion. Kevin has completed the Marathon des Sables five times and raised more than £1 million for Prostate Cancer UK – achievements that would have seemed unimaginable when he was first diagnosed.  

"After my diagnosis I went out for a run, which was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and that changed my life. Since then, I've had some incredible experiences and taken on some of the hardest endurance challenges around the world.  

"A lot of this has been made possible by a shift in mindset. But it’s also made possible by the tailored treatments I've received for my prostate cancer, and through advances in science and research that keeps men like me on the road."

"I want this disease to be one that men, including my own sons, no longer fear. But there is still a long way to go and more investment in research needed to get us to a world where every man gets personalised treatment that works for him, helps keep any difficult side-effects at bay and makes sure he can carry on living his life to the full- or even running marathons like me!” 

And it's our hope that Kevin's story will become a future shared by more men. Our campaigning has helped secure access to treatments such as enzalutamide and abiraterone for men with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer, and new effective treatments continue to be developed and approved each year.  

Experts therefore expect to see even more men surviving 3-years post-diagnosis in the future, bringing hope to more men and their families. 

Progress is changing lives, but there's more to do

Despite this positive treatment news, the NPCA's report also showed that the number of men diagnosed with the disease has continued to climb.  

More than 60,800 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in England in 2025 – up 7% in a single year – while the number of men diagnosed with disease that has already spread, or metastasised, outside the prostate increased to more than 6,300.   

These figures show the scale of the challenge still ahead and why continued work is so important. More men than ever are being diagnosed with prostate cancer, so the need for better ways to treat the disease has never been greater. 

As Natalia Norori puts it, “While this report clearly demonstrates the impact of these investments, there is still so much more to do, and we will continue funding research and campaigning for access to treatments that save and extend lives. 

"The number of men living with prostate cancer also continues to rise, so it’s vital that we see investment in prostate cancer care to ensure men get access to the best treatments that improve their quality of life, reduces side effects, and gives them longer, happier years with their partners, family and friends." 

And while more men are now living beyond three years with advanced prostate cancer, there's still a bigger ambition: for this to become something men can expect, rather than something remarkable. 

Kevin Mortimer, 51, was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer on his daughter's 11th birthday and was told that it had spread to his bones and lungs. Initially told he was “terminal”, nearly three years later his cancer is now undetectable following cutting-edge triplet therapy - a new way of treating prostate cancer using three different treatments at once.  

Thankful for the extra years he's had, he now wants other men to have the same experience. He said: "I hope my story can give hope to other men diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and inspire researchers to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible to improve and extend the lives of men with this diagnosis.  

"I look forward to a time when living beyond three years with advanced prostate cancer is no longer something remarkable, but something every man with this diagnosis can reasonably expect.” 

The next breakthrough could take us further

For men living with prostate cancer, every new discovery could change what the future looks like. Our research has already led to major breakthroughs in treatment, but without investment, even the most promising research project won’t get off the ground. 

Join our VENTURE program and donate £10 monthly to invest in pioneering research at the cutting-edge of science that will improve, extend and save men’s lives

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