Scientists from the University of Oxford have found that active surveillance for localized prostate cancer can be a safe alternative to emergency surgery or radiation therapy for most men. Research published New England Journal of Medicine.
In most cases, prostate cancer grows slowly, so doctors thought it made sense to take the time with aggressive treatment. In the new study, the researchers compared three approaches: surgery to remove the tumor, radiation therapy, and observation.
Researchers followed more than 1,600 British men who agreed to be randomly assigned for surgery, radiation therapy or active observation. The cancer of the patients was limited to the prostate. The men in the observation group were regularly checked by the doctor but not treated.
15 years later, scientists evaluated the men’s data. There was no difference in prostate cancer mortality between the groups. Survival was high in all three groups – 97% regardless of treatment approach.
Cancer had spread in 9.4% of patients in the active observation group, 4.7% in the surgery group, and 5% in the radiotherapy group. The study was started in 1999, and experts note that monitoring methods have evolved over this time.
The study showed that men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer should not panic or rush to make a decision. However, a small number of men at high risk or in advanced stages of the disease require immediate treatment.