Prostate Cancer Treatment 'Not Always Needed'

Prolonged existence

A new study suggests that by only keeping an eye out on cancer of the prostate gland can result in the very same 10 year rate of continued existence as treating it. Researchers from the UK cautioned too many men were going through procedures that caused harm in a way to their copulatory life and also caused incontinence.

A trial was conducted with around 1,643 men having a small amount of prostate cancer which resulted in the similar 99% rate of survival after ten years for those who had undergone surgery, radiotherapy, or had simply just monitored the growth of the tumour.

Experts declared that the results they found for men were completely reassuring. From the University of Oxford, Prof Freddie Hamdy told BBC that the problem persists globally that patients are always over treated. If a man aged 55 is told he is a victim of cancer and has a family, it is totally understandable they he would not want to take any sort of risks.

Price to surveillance

Inorder to kill the tumour in men where prostate cancer had been found by testing for a chemical prostate antigen specific or PSA in their blood in the trial and then were either were kept on observation or had to undergo surgery or radiotherapy. Supported by the research wing of the National Institute for Health Research (NHS) the study then followed the men for a decade. Although the rate of survival was the same, there was a greater risk of side effects along with the treatment. The risk of incontinence and complications with copulation in those who had the surgery were double.

The risk of bowel problems was increased for those who had radiotherapy. However there was a price to the observatory option- only in one out of five cases the prostate cancer progressed. It was possible to treat these men; however in a long term survival it may still affect them beyond the study of a decade. From the University of Bristol, Prof Jenny Donovan said that for the first time ever have these three techniques of surgery, radiotherapy and monitoring for this form of cancer are being directly compared. The effects and impacts of each technique are different, and longer follow up is needed to see how these work out over a decade.

'Anxiety'

In the New England Journal of Medicine, the findings only apply for those who have the early stages of prostate cancer. A more aggressive treatment is required for those at a more advanced stage. From the charity Prostrate Cancer UK, Dr Matthew Hobbs said that at present, there are many men with the illness who will not choose the observatory step due to the uncertainty of the influence of that choice may hold and the anxiety caused because of it. It is absolutely reassuring to it be said that, when the procedure is conducted a standard which is high, active observation proposes men to have the same amount and chance of survival as the other have.