Men with life expectancies of less than 10 years still receive aggressive treatment for prostate cancer despite guidelines — ScienceDaily
In the first study to rigorously address prostate cancer treatment trends by life expectancy in a large, nationally representative sample, UCLA researchers found that more than half of prostate cancer patients 66 years and older have life expectancies of less than10 years, but half of those still were over-treated for their prostate cancer with surgery, radiation or brachytherapy, the implantation of radioactive seeds in the prostate. Randomized controlled studies have suggested that significant differences in survival between watchful waiting — monitoring the cancer closely but not treating it — and aggressive therapies don’t develop until 10 years after treatment. It only makes sense to not treat men expected to die of something else within 10 years…