Prostate Cancer in Spain: What the Numbers Say for 2026
How many new cases are expected?
According to the “Cancer figures in Spain 2026” report, about 301,884 people will be diagnosed with cancer in Spain next year. Of those, 168,764 will be men. Prostate cancer will be the most common tumor in men, with an estimated 34,833 new cases – roughly one in five male cancers.
Survival rates
Even though prostate cancer is frequent, it has a good outlook. The five‑year net survival for patients diagnosed between 2013 and 2017 was 90.2%. In 2024, prostate cancer caused 5,967 deaths in Spain, making it the second leading cause of cancer death in men after lung and colorectal cancer.
How often does it spread?
Most prostate cancers are found early, when they are still confined to the prostate. Only about 10% of patients already have metastatic disease at diagnosis. However, after initial treatment (surgery or radiation), 20‑30% of men may see the cancer return and spread to other parts of the body.
Different stages of advanced disease
Doctors split advanced prostate cancer into three main groups:
- Metastatic hormone‑sensitive prostate cancer – can appear at diagnosis or after a relapse.
- Metastatic castration‑resistant prostate cancer – the cancer keeps growing even when testosterone levels are very low.
- Non‑metastatic castration‑resistant prostate cancer – cancer resists hormone therapy but has not yet spread to distant sites.
Treating advanced prostate cancer
The goals are to live longer, keep a good quality of life, slow the cancer down, and avoid problems such as bone fractures.
Hormone‑sensitive metastatic disease
Doctors often combine androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with newer hormone drugs like abiraterone, apalutamide, enzalutamide or darolutamide. Chemotherapy may be added for some patients.
Castration‑resistant metastatic disease
Options include:
- Chemotherapy (docetaxel, cabazitaxel)
- New hormone agents (enzalutamide, abiraterone, etc.)
- PARP inhibitors for patients with DNA‑repair gene changes
- Bone‑targeting radiopharmaceuticals such as radium‑223
- PSMA‑directed therapies like ¹⁷⁷Lu‑PSMA‑617
Thanks to these advances, median overall survival has risen from about 18‑19 months with early chemotherapy to 40 months or more in selected groups today.
PARP inhibitors and biomarker testing
About 20‑30% of men with metastatic prostate cancer have alterations in DNA‑repair genes, especially BRCA2. These changes make the cancer more sensitive to PARP inhibitors.
Studies such as AMPLITUDE and TALAPRO‑3 have shown that adding a PARP inhibitor (niraparib or talazoparib) to hormone therapy improves progression‑free survival, particularly in patients with BRCA1/2 mutations. This approach is now being tested earlier in the disease course.
Conclusion
Prostate cancer remains a common diagnosis for men in Spain, but early detection and modern treatments have turned it into a manageable disease for many. Understanding the different stages—localized, hormone‑sensitive metastatic, and castration‑resistant—helps doctors choose the right combination of surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and newer targeted drugs. Ongoing research into biomarkers and PARP inhibitors promises even better outcomes in the years ahead.
Reference: Source
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