health
Surveillance acceptable for older men with low-risk prostate cancer
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 2, 2011
Delaying surgery to remove tumors in older men with low-grade prostate cancer poses no added risk of death, says a study published online April 4 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Active surveillance might be the best option for these patients, the study said.
Such surveillance can include regular prostate-specific antigen testing, digital rectal exams and prostate biopsies, according to the National Cancer Institute.
The study began in 1995. During that time, researchers have examined the cancer progression in 769 older men.
The participants, most of whom are 65 and older, were followed for an average of 2.7 years. They received PSA measurements twice a year, and they got an annual surveillance biopsy to determine if the cancer had changed or progressed.
Researchers found that about one in three underwent treatment, primarily because annual biopsy results showed more cancer. None of the men died from the disease (link).
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/05/02/hlbf0502.htm.
