Private MD News

Expert urges caution when choosing prostate cancer treatment

Category: Prostate

There are many treatments available to men who have received positive PSA tests indicating they have prostate cancer. While most of these can dramatically increase an individual’s chances of surviving the disease, one expert is urging caution, as many come with potentially serious side effects.

Dr. Bert Vorstman, a South Florida urologist, says that radical prostatectomies, in which the entire gland is surgically removed, may be overutilized, and should be reserved only for serious cases of prostate cancer. This is because the procedure is likely to cause side effects.

"I believe that the radical surgical/robotic treatment option has single-handedly increased the incidence of impotence and incontinence worldwide, and physicians would do well to consider the Hippocrates affirmation: As to diseases, make a habit of two things - to help, or at least, to do no harm," Vorstman said.

He added that many men who undergo surgery end up reporting that the side effects are actually worse than the disease itself was.

Given the fact that prostate cancer is such a slow growing type of tumor, many men who are diagnosed with the disease will die of natural causes before the cancer causes them any harm.