Overtreatment of prostate cancer among men with limited life expectancy is increasing in the United States Two-thirds of men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer are receiving treatment that often is harmful and useless Likewise, nearly half of men with high-risk cancer are receiving treatment that won’t extend their lives WEDNESDAY, Nov. 12, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Overtreatment of prostate cancer is increasing in the United States among men with limited life expectancy, a new study reports. Procedures like radiation therapy and prostate surgery are being employed more often in these men, causing side effects like incontinence and impotence without adding any more years to their lives, researchers found.
Two-thirds of men with intermediate-risk prostate cancer and nearly half of men with high-risk cancer are receiving treatment that frequently proves harmful and useless, they added. “We found this pattern surprising,” said lead researcher Dr. Timothy Daskivich , director of urologic oncology research for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
“Prostate cancer patients with life expectancies of less than five or 10 years were being subjected to treatments that can take up to a decade to significantly improve their chances of surviving cancer, despite guidelines recommending against treatment,” Daskivich added in a Cedars-Sinai news release. This trend runs counter to efforts promoting “active surveillance” of prostate cancers in men where treatment would.