It's truly unbelievable: Nine out of 10 men with low grade, NON-LETHAL prostate cancer choose aggressive treatments, risking incontinence, erectile dysfunction and rectal problems — UNNECESSARILY. The major surgeries and radiation treatments that these men are having are NOT saving their lives, according to a Johns Hopkins study of 769 men across the U.S. and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Worse still, 80% of those choosing treatments are over age 75, an age group with a shortened lifetime horizon and thought to be ideal candidates for active surveillance....
“This study offers the most conclusive evidence to date that active surveillance may be the preferred option for the vast majority of older men diagnosed with a very low-grade or small-volume form of prostate cancer,” says study senior investigator and urologist H. Ballentine Carter, M.D. “These are men with a favorable risk disease profile to begin with."
The study is largest and longer study of men initially diagnosed with slow-growing, nonaggressive form of prostate cancer. The Hopkins investigators, who included Patrick Walsh, M.D., author of Patrick Walsh’s Guide to Prostate Cancer, recommend active surveillance as the preferred treatment option.
Why are men with low-grade cancer making the decision for aggressive treatments? In my opinion, fear of having prostate cancer inside them, aided by doctors not calming the fear that the cancer won't kill them, and that active surveillance is a better option without the treatment-related risk of ED and incontinence.
Some doctors and providers, as I've written about on this sight, may also be motivated by financial gain as well, so patients may not be getting the best guidance as they face "The Decision." See Screening Prostates at Any Age from the New York Times and The Prostate Money Tree in this blog.
Bottom line: Every guy diagnosed with prostate cancer needs to educate himself about the real risks they face, based on the grade (aggressiveness) of their cancer — or risk making a bad (hasty) decision that could last a lifetime.
“This study offers the most conclusive evidence to date that active surveillance may be the preferred option for the vast majority of older men diagnosed with a very low-grade or small-volume form of prostate cancer,” says study senior investigator and urologist H. Ballentine Carter, M.D. “These are men with a favorable risk disease profile to begin with."
The study is largest and longer study of men initially diagnosed with slow-growing, nonaggressive form of prostate cancer. The Hopkins investigators, who included Patrick Walsh, M.D., author of Patrick Walsh’s Guide to Prostate Cancer, recommend active surveillance as the preferred treatment option.
Why are men with low-grade cancer making the decision for aggressive treatments? In my opinion, fear of having prostate cancer inside them, aided by doctors not calming the fear that the cancer won't kill them, and that active surveillance is a better option without the treatment-related risk of ED and incontinence.
Some doctors and providers, as I've written about on this sight, may also be motivated by financial gain as well, so patients may not be getting the best guidance as they face "The Decision." See Screening Prostates at Any Age from the New York Times and The Prostate Money Tree in this blog.
Bottom line: Every guy diagnosed with prostate cancer needs to educate himself about the real risks they face, based on the grade (aggressiveness) of their cancer — or risk making a bad (hasty) decision that could last a lifetime.
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