Don't know specifically about the PB17 (or any other Apple LCD) but
one manufacturer claims 50,000 hours of continuous operation is typical. Newer LCDs last longer than previous models; some claim up to 60,000 hours, and the lowest I've ever seen is 10,000 hours, for older LCDs.
At 50K hours, that's 5.7 years of continuous use, or about 11 years of use at twelve hours a day, seven days a week.
Those numbers are "half-lives," meaning that after that period of time, your backlight will be half as bright as it was when new.
Yes, turning down the brightness should prolong the life, but I'd bet that you'll have replaced your computer before your backlight reaches it's half-life.