Private MD News

Most men with prostate cancer opt for surgery

Category: Prostate

Following a PSA test that indicates possible prostate cancer, men have many treatment options. Surgery and radiation therapies can be most effective at eradicating tumors, but they often come with side effects. Watchful waiting and hormone therapy are less invasive options, but they may increase the chances that a growth will develop into high-grade cancer.

A new study from UK researchers has shown that, when it comes to prostate cancer, most men are less concerned with the potential side effects of their treatment and more interested in making sure that their cancer is destroyed.

The findings of the study, which was published in the British Journal of Urology International, indicate that 40 percent of men diagnosed with stage 1 or 2 prostate cancer opt for surgery. At the other end of the spectrum, only 8 percent choose active surveillance.

Most of the men who chose surgery said that they were motivated to do so because of a desire for physical removal of the tumor. Despite the higher prevalence of side effects in the group, most said that they were satisfied with their decision.

“Overall, patients were satisfied with the treatment and indicated that despite different reasons for choosing treatment, they would make the same choice again,” the authors wrote in their report.