Overtreatment of prostate cancer is a serious issue. Men with low-grade prostate cancer (Stage 1, Gleason scores 6 and under) are getting radiated or going under the knife unnecessarily. Not only are these aggressive treatments not saving lives, they're causing irreparable damage to the lifestyles of tens of thousands of men every year.
Yet because of the anxiety that "having prostate cancer" causes men, the compliance of many urologists, and the enormous financial benefits to providers—overtreatment is now commonplace. "It's embarrassing that this is going on," one of my doctors told me.
Fact is, men with slow-growing prostate cancer are not at high risk. They can live with prostate cancer as a chronic and often asymptomatic condition. Many experts now see 'watchful waiting' as the smart treatment choice and new studies are supporting this view.
Just this week....
Once under the radar, the epidemic of overtreatment for PC is getting more and more attention from major news outlets. Here's a couple this week ... the first from Reuters Health, citing a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology....More evidence for waiting to treat prostate cancer, by Leigh Krietsch Koemer, April 13, 2011. And another from Medical News Today, April 12, 2011....Slow-Growing Prostate Cancer: "Active Surveillance" May Be Better Option Than Treatment For Older Men
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