New Name for Low-Risk Prostate Cancer?

Low-risk prostate cancer may need a new name to encourage more men to avoid treatment they may not need, an expert panel says. More research also is needed on the best way to monitor these men, the panel says. The U.S. National Institutes of Health appointed the panel of experts. The panel released its report December 7. It found that more than half of the prostate cancers diagnosed today fall into the low-risk category. Long-term follow-ups show that only about 5% of men with low-risk prostate cancer die from it. Treatments for prostate cancer can lead to problems with urine control and sexual function. But more than 90% of men with low-risk prostate cancer decide to get treated right away. Many of these men might be better off with “active surveillance,” the panel said. This means having regular prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests and perhaps prostate biopsies as well.