Findings from a new research study published in the Aug. 16 Journal of the National Cancer Institute indicate that more than half of the participants who received surgery or radiation treatment for their prostate cancer might have fared just as well without active treatment and its inherent side effects.
Because tumor progression can vary widely among patients, appropriate treatment options can range from “wait and see” to very aggressive therapies.
The study covered more than 64,000 men listed in a U.S. National Cancer Institute registry as having been diagnosed with early prostate cancer. They were divided into having either high-risk or low-risk cancers on the basis of factors affecting the aggressiveness of the cancer. From 2000 to 2002, more than half of the 24,835 low-risk men had undergone radiation treatment or surgery in the first months after diagnosis, the researchers reported.
In the study, age appeared to influence treatment options. For example, men under age 55 were most likely to be treated with surgery, while low-risk men over 70 were most likely to receive radiation treatment, even though they often have slow-growing tumors and will die of something other than their cancer.
This research illustrates the need for doctors to carefully analyze each individual, their particular type of cancer and other risk factors to determine if they would be better off without treatment or would experience a better outcome with surgery or radiation.
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