People with localized prostate cancer treated according to guidelines developed by an international panel of doctors are more likely to die of something other than the disease, new research shows.
A study of nearly 63,000 people in Sweden with non-metastatic prostate cancer found those with low- and intermediate-risk cancers were six times more likely to die from another cause. And people who had high-risk prostate cancer were twice as likely to die of other causes.
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The study was conducted by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a nonprofit group of 33 leading cancer centers and researchers around the world who work together to promote and advance high-quality cancer care. The participants all had a life expectancy of more than three years and were treated according to NCCN guidelines.
"If guideline-recommended treatment is used, most people with prostate cancer will live for many years after diagnosis," lead researcher Dr. Pietro Scilipoti, of Uppsala University in Sweden and IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital in Italy, said in a release. "That includes active surveillance as an excellent treatment strategy for appropriately selected people."
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States — 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with it during their lifetimes. Though prostate cancer is rare in men under 40, it accounts for 6 in 10 cancers among men 65 and older. There will be about 313,780 new cases of prostate cancer and about 35,770 deaths from prostate cancer in 2025, according to the American Cancer Society.
But prostate cancer is a slower growing cancer and often is successfully treated if caught early, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The NCCN, which is based in Plymouth Meeting, lays out guidelines for treatment including active surveillance, surgery, radiation therapy and hormone therapy, depending on the stage of the cancer and the particulars of the diagnosis.
The recent study "offers a big sigh of relief for many men facing a prostate cancer diagnosis," said Dr. Ahmad Shabsigh, a member of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Prostate Cancer, who was not involved in the research. "What's truly striking is that for patients with low-risk prostate cancer, many of whom were on active surveillance, the 30-year mortality risk from the cancer itself was only about 11%. It really underscores the power of evidence-based treatment plans and the importance of focusing on a person's overall health, not just their cancer."
Prostate cancer starts in the prostate gland, part of the male reproductive system that makes semen and is found just below the bladder. Symptoms may include blood in the urine, blood in semen, needing to urinate more often and trouble getting started when trying to urinate. Advanced symptoms may include back pain, bone pain, erectile dysfunction, unexplained weight loss and fatigue, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Diagnosis is made through rectal exams, blood tests to detect antigens specific to prostate cancer, imaging and biopsy.