It used to be the case that a diagnosis of prostate cancer meant surgery with the likelihood of unpleasant complications along with radiation or chemotherapy treatments. While some types of aggressive cancer do require surgery, many cases of prostate cancer now involve "active surveillance", which involves regular PSA tests and biopsies.
Statnews has an interesting article that describes the new trend in treatment. I found it especially interesting that the article mentions Dr. Lawrence Klotz, who works out of Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, and has operated on a family member.
The second urologist shared with me the results of research by Laurence Klotz, a pioneering Canadian urologist, showing that virtually all men like me with low-risk prostate cancer were alive 10 years after undergoing radical prostate removal surgery, after undergoing radiation treatment to kill cancer cells, or after following active surveillance, a strategy in which the cancer is closely monitored and treatment begun only if the cancer became aggressive. The second doctor assured me there would be plenty of time to intervene with surgery or radiation should that happen.
The article is also another example of why it pays to get a second opinion when major medical interventions are involved.
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