A new study has found that a larger number of American men are choosing to delay surgery for low-risk prostate cancer. Instead, they are choosing to monitor the disease. This comes in the wake of new guidelines encouraging “active surveillance” as a better option for men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer. The study found that in a span of only five years the number opting for monitoring increased to thrice what it was from 14 percent to 42 percent between 2010 and 2015.
Active surveillance comprises of intermittent biopsies, blood tests, andexams to check whether the cancer is progressing. If necessary, treatment might be recommended eventually but there are chances of it not being necessary. Prostate cancer is common, with a one-in-nine chance of diagnosis for men in the U.S. It, however, progresses slowly and may never grow too far. In the past, many had the disease and lived with it unknowingly, eventually dying of other causes. This shows it is possible to use active surveillance. Facts about active surveillance include:
Even with these statistics, some men will still prefer surgery to get the cancer out. This remains a valid choice for the patient as long as they don’t feel rushed into treatment.
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AuthorAs the founder and medical director of the Prostate Seed Institute Dr. Gregory A. Echt. His vision to provide the most modern treatment, non surgical treatments for prostate cancer in various locations throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth continues to succeed. Now date, he has made a therapy for prostate implantation seed at over 2,500 men, including urologists and oncologists. Archives
December 2019
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