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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Aggressive treatment of early-stage prostate cancer may not always be the best choice, according researchers in a new study.
Study investigators at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor, found more than half of the 24,835 men they observed with lower-risk prostate cancer underwent surgery or radiation when a monitoring, or expectant management, approach could have been done instead.
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"For some men with early-stage prostate cancer, surgery or radiation therapy may result in substantial negative effects without a survival benefit," says study author John T. Wei, M.D., M.S.
Researchers report of the 13,537 men who chose immediate treatment, 45 percent had radiation therapy, and 10 percent had their prostate removed. Men older than 70 who sought direct treatment had the greatest likelihood of being over-treated within a year of diagnosis.
Many men are diagnosed with slow-growing tumors that would never cause health problems or death, according to the background information in the article. These men could forego treatment and not suffer the side effects of surgery and radiation, like impotence and incontinence.
"Efforts to reduce overtreatment should be a clinical and public health priority," write the study authors.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2006;98:1134-1141
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