SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY
Taking a Wait and See Approach to Prostate Cancer
from the Los Angeles Times (Registration Required)
For most men over 65 with localized prostate cancer, conservative management of their tumor--which might be characterized as "benign neglect," or wait and treat only if symptoms occur--may be the best course of action, according to a new study that compares modern results with those obtained before 1990.
There is no question that treatment of a prostate cancer is required for tumors that are aggressive and have advanced outside the confines of the prostate gland itself. But those that are locally confined have been the subject of great debate.
A 2005 clinical trial showed that, for men younger than 65, treatment of the tumor prolongs survival. But for those older than 65, treatment provided no survival benefit. Nonetheless, only 10% of such older patients now undergo such a benign regimen, despite the fact that aggressive treatment can produce incontinence, impotence and other adverse effects.
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