Many men with early-stage prostate cancer would do just as well to choose no treatment at all, according to a new clinical trial highlighted in The New York Times.
“…Prostate cancer detection and treatment efforts over the past 25 years, particularly in the United States, have been woefully misguided, rendering millions of men impotent, incontinent and saddled with fear about a disease that was unlikely ever to kill them in the first place,” writes Tara Parker-Pope.
Fear over the second-biggest cancer killer in men (second only to lung cancer) leads many diagnosed patients to quick decisions that could alter their lives forever; there are about 100,000 to 120,000 prostatectomy surgeries performed in the U.S. alone each year.
Large studies like this are now showing that early detection makes little, if any, difference in whether a man dies from prostate cancer. Over a 15-year study, there was no statistical difference in overall mortality rates between the surgical and observation groups.
“Many men, when they hear about a diagnosis of prostate cancer, become fearful,” said Dr. Timothy J. Wilt, the study’s lead author and professor of medicine at Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research. “They think if they aren’t treated they will die from it. Our results clearly demonstrate that’s not true. The overwhelming majority will not die of their disease if its left untreated.” Read the full details here:
Questioning Surgery for Early Prostate Cancer
Steve Crandall, a top-rated medical malpractice attorney throughout Ohio and Kentucky, believes patients should consider all of their options and learn all of the facts before rushing into surgery that could result in severe and unnecessary complications.
“One question for patients to ask is whether the surgeons are advocating surgery before it is indicated in order to generate volume and income for their practice,” says Crandall.
If you have any questions regarding medical malpractice throughout Ohio and Kentucky, contact Steve Crandall. Steve is available to help answer your questions and guide you in determining your next steps.
Is Surgery Really the Answer for Prostate Cancer?