Just as many hysterectomies fall into the “unnecessary surgery” category, radical prostatectomies (removal of the prostate) are often unnecessary for men with prostate cancer. Before Dr. Whitaker goes on, he wants to make a comment about prostate cancer screening. Routine PSA testing has led to a huge increase in both cancer diagnoses and prostate surgery. Although PSA is a notoriously unreliable indicator of cancer/severity, it steers tens of thousands of men into operating rooms every year. Aggressive cancers, especially in younger men who have many years of life ahead of them, are one thing. However, many of the cancers being treated with prostate surgery are small, localized tumors, and, if left alone, they would never cause any problems. But the tendency of doctors and patients alike to “yank it out,” has resulted in a serious problem of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Dr. Whitaker
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:41:40 +0000
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