Choice of treatment for men who suffer from prostate cancer
Over the past few years, the number of men who suffer from prostate cancer have chosen to go with another choice of treatment - holding their breaths.
Men with small tumours that grow gradually over time go for frequent check-ups and then only if the disease worsens do they start treatment - this is also known as "active surveillance" or "watchful waiting".
Numerous studies are being conducted globally that focus on this process known as watchful waiting. These studies have been designed to provide men with more definite answers when it comes to weighing up the pros and cons between the pressure of living with Prostate Cancer and the well-renowned side effects of surgery and radiation.
Due to more men being screened and, and as a result, more low-risk cancers being diagnosed, the option of watchful waiting is becoming increasingly popular amongst those who are diagnosed with the illness.
Over 50% of all men will have cancer cells in their prostate by the time they turn eighty, and most of which will not have been diagnosed. However, only a small portion (roughly 3%) will die from the illness.
Prostate tumours are mostly small and slow-growing and the majority of the men who develop them will pass away as a result of something else.
Effectively, roughly 60% of all men that are diagnosed with the illness are prospective candidates for active surveillance if they opt for this choice of 'treatment'.
There are a number of studies being conducted that are aimed at establishing an actual cure for the disease, one of which was carried out recently at one of Europe's leading CROs. The main aim of the study was to determine the effects the body had on the study drug. This was a new drug developed with the anticipation that it would have fewer side effects than the treatments currently available on the market. The study drug is not available by prescription or as an over-the-counter medication but is currently under research in other clinical trials. The outcome of this research study is yet to be established.
Men with small tumours that grow gradually over time go for frequent check-ups and then only if the disease worsens do they start treatment - this is also known as "active surveillance" or "watchful waiting".
Numerous studies are being conducted globally that focus on this process known as watchful waiting. These studies have been designed to provide men with more definite answers when it comes to weighing up the pros and cons between the pressure of living with Prostate Cancer and the well-renowned side effects of surgery and radiation.
Due to more men being screened and, and as a result, more low-risk cancers being diagnosed, the option of watchful waiting is becoming increasingly popular amongst those who are diagnosed with the illness.
Over 50% of all men will have cancer cells in their prostate by the time they turn eighty, and most of which will not have been diagnosed. However, only a small portion (roughly 3%) will die from the illness.
Prostate tumours are mostly small and slow-growing and the majority of the men who develop them will pass away as a result of something else.
Effectively, roughly 60% of all men that are diagnosed with the illness are prospective candidates for active surveillance if they opt for this choice of 'treatment'.
There are a number of studies being conducted that are aimed at establishing an actual cure for the disease, one of which was carried out recently at one of Europe's leading CROs. The main aim of the study was to determine the effects the body had on the study drug. This was a new drug developed with the anticipation that it would have fewer side effects than the treatments currently available on the market. The study drug is not available by prescription or as an over-the-counter medication but is currently under research in other clinical trials. The outcome of this research study is yet to be established.
Source...