DON’T RUSH PROSTATE TREATMENTS
Surprising new finding
MOST men with prostate cancer can put off harsh treatments, such as surgery and radiation, without risking their health, scientists say. A U.K. research team gathered data from more than 1,600 guys, aged 50 to 69, who were diagnosed with the disease. Among the patients, 553 underwent a prostatectomy — a procedure where the organ is either partially or completely removed — and 545 received radiotherapy — such as external beams from an Xray-like machine or rice-sized implants, which slowly release low levels of radiation. A third group of 545 individuals were actively monitored by health care providers and offered appropriate treatment if the cancer advanced.
The physicians found the majority of early-stage patients who adopted the wait-and-see method were just as likely to survive for at least 15 years as peers who endured more invasive care.
After researchers analyzed results from 1,610 follow-up subjects, they discovered the cancer had spread in 9.4 percent of the active-monitoring group, 4.7 percent of the surgery group and 5 percent of the radiation group.
Lead study author Dr. Freddie Hamdy, of the University of Oxford, points out spread alone doesn’t necessarily predict death from the condition.
Experts say prostate surgery and radiation can both increase the odds of developing permanent erectile dysfunction and urinary problems, diminishing the quality of life for patients.
While men with high-risk or advanced prostate cancer may need more urgent care, Hamdy says the “new and interesting” results allow most guys to “consider carefully the possible benefits and harms caused by the treatment options.”