Many men with prostate tumors deemed to be slow-growing are now given the option to have the tumor checked periodically, avoiding treatment A decade-long study of almost 2,200 of these patients found their outcomes were equal to those who got early treatment Safely avoiding treatment in this way should help men maintain a good quality of life with no decline in survival THURSDAY, May 30, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- For a large percentage of men with prostate cancer, the tumor may be so slow-growing that doctors advise a "watch-and-wait" approach instead of active treatment. Now, a study of almost 2,200 patients followed for up to a decade finds that, for most, that decision may be a wise one. "In this study, 10 years after diagnosis, 49% of men remained free of progression or treatment, less than 2% developed metastatic disease and less than 1% died of their disease," reported a team led by .
She's a cancer prevention researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. According to Newcomb, "our study showed that using active surveillance that includes regular PSA exams and prostate biopsies is a safe and effective management strategy for favorable-risk prostate cancer." The findings were published May 30 in the A few decades ago many, if not most, men newly diagnosed with were quickly sent to treatment -- typically either surgery (prostatectomy) and/or hormone-suppressing treatments.
Both of these interventions can come with side effects such as impotence or urinary iss.