A multi-year study found that, for the most part, men with prostate cancer can delay or
Instead, patients can "activelycontrol" cancer after diagnosis rather than removing the prostate or exposing it to high-energy radiation. It is known to cause long-term side effects such as urine leakage, erectile dysfunction and other urinary, bowel and sexual function problems.
“If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancerglands, don't panic and rush to make a decision about how to proceed," explains Freddy Hamdy, lead author of the study, professor of surgery and urology at the University of Oxford, in an interview with CNN. It's important to note that this advice only applies to people with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer. High-risk patients still need prompt and aggressive treatment, he said.
In a new study published inThe New England Journal of Medicine surveyed more than 1,600 men in the UK who were diagnosed with prostate cancer. All subjects were between 50 and 69 years of age at the start of the trial. The patients were randomly divided into three groups, who were treated differently for cancer: one-third had their prostate removed; the second was given radiation combined with short-term hormone-blocking therapy; the third was actively monitored.
During a study that began in 1999year, active surveillance involved regularly measuring the level of a certain protein in the blood of patients - prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Its level rises as prostate cancer progresses. Today, active surveillance may include additional tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the prostate and genetic testing.
The researchers followed each participant for11 to 21 years after diagnosis. They found that all patients had the same low risk of death, no matter what treatment they received. In total, 45 participants died from prostate cancer, or 2.7%. Of these, 12 people (2.2%) were in the "surgical group"; 16 people (2.9%) in the radiation room; and 17 people (3.1%) in the active observation group. As the authors of the study emphasize, these small differences are not considered statistically significant.
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Cover photo: NCSA