- Two-pronged treatment could ‘revolutionise’ prostate cancer treatment
- The cancer is the most common among British men, killing 11,000 a year
18:32 EST, 14 April 2014
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18:43 EST, 14 April 2014
A two-in-one treatment could revolutionise the care of men with advanced prostate cancer.
Patients who undergo surgery as well as drug treatment are twice as likely to still be alive 14 years later as those given medication alone, a study found.
If further research confirms the effect, the management of late-stage prostate cancer could be ‘revolutionised’, said the researchers.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in British men, affecting 41,000 a year and claiming almost 11,000 lives.
Dual action: Prostate cancer patients who undergo surgery as well as drug treatment are twice as likely to still be alive 14 years later as those given medication alone, a study found. Pictured, prostate cancer cells
Advanced cancer, which has spread to other parts of the body, is normally treated with drugs that mop up the male hormones it needs to grow.
Men live for an average of five years after starting testosterone-blocking drugs.
In the latest study, British and Swedish researchers looked at whether surgery combined with this hormonal therapy is better than the therapy alone.
Half of the 1,400 men studied had their prostate removed before starting testosterone-blocking drugs. The other half simply had the drug treatment. Some 321 men given drugs alone died during the course of the study – twice as many as in the group given surgery and medicine.
Although radical prostatectomy, or prostate removal, is used in earlier stages of the disease, it is not normally carried out once the cancer has spread throughout the body.
This is because it is thought that the cancer has such a grip that there is little point in trying to contain it.
There are also concerns about putting patients through surgery, plus prostate removal can cause distressing side effects such as impotence and incontinence.
However, the latest research, released at the European Association of Urology’s annual conference, suggests that the prostate is still fuelling the cancer, even after it has spread elsewhere.
The conference heard that recent research has focused on developing new drugs. However, combining surgery with the standard treatment seems more promising.
Lead author Professor Peter Wiklund, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, cautioned that further studies are needed but said the combined treatment could ‘revolutionise the management of advanced prostate cancer’.
Mikis Euripides, of Prostate Cancer UK, said: ‘While this is a valid line of inquiry, the evidence isn’t enough to conclude that men with advanced prostate cancer would be better off having a radical prostatectomy.
‘However, the findings do indicate that there may be value in conducting a larger clinical trial.’
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BARGET,
SOUTH YORKSHIRE, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
Two different Urological Surgeons after I pressed them as to what they would do if it was them with the same grade prostate cancer as I had,said, verbatim..â€whip it out and get it in the bucket!†I did and still a PSA of 0.01 after 6 years + No way would I want a cancerous organ left in my body. Furthermore incontinence (which can be controlled by drugs) and erectile deficiency (again drugs can help) are a small price to pay instead of waiting for the disease to metastasize and kill you.
dnarex,
Rochester, United States,
1 hour ago
Keep in mind that this study had to do with metastatic cancer. Prostatectomy may not be proper for early stage cancer. In most cases prostate cancer is slow growing and may never progress to the point of needing surgery. If a man lives long enough he almost surely will have cancer in his prostate but will die with the cancer not from the cancer. Despite the success stories of some of the commenters, prostatectomy has a very high rate of unpleasant side effects and should not be undertaken without serious consideration of the alternatives including watchful waiting. Unfortunately, other therapies like radiation and brachytherapy are subject to the same side effects.
Oldcogger,
Birmingham, United Kingdom,
3 hours ago
My retired work colleague has just had this operation and treatment, he is now fine and his survival rate is immense, all thanks to the surgeon and his care. Prostate cancer has been ignored in the past few years, and it is nice to see it brought out into the open at last. Too many men have already died, including 3 of my old mates.
sneezy,
surrey,
3 hours ago
please men do your research before they terrify you in something that may end up needless..
Stu,
Laholm, Sweden,
5 hours ago
I’m nearly 57 and had my first PSA test a couple of months ago and it came back as undetectable levels of the antigen in my blood, which surprised my doc who said it was very unusual. I have no idea whether that’s good or bad.
oneinchwonder,
England, United Kingdom,
6 hours ago
The most common cancers seem to be the prostate in men and breasts in woman, both strongly connected to hormones. I’m wondering if it’s something in our water supply.
bluesman,
Redditch,
8 hours ago
I can’t see why this would be rocket science.
Removal of anything that the body does not need for survival should be a no brainer really as if it no longer exists then the obvious drop in risk of the disease killing should be easy to see.
You are wrong,
london, United Kingdom,
5 hours ago
You are wrong,
london, United Kingdom,
9 hours ago
Removing the prostate eliminates their sex lives
Number Six,
Portmeirion,
9 hours ago
You are wrong,
london, United Kingdom,
7 hours ago
i dont really,
live in, Bahamas,
10 hours ago
i would love to know how much money has been spent on cancer research from the very beginning,i dont think we are any closer to finding a cure than we were a hundred years ago,i thought in my lifetime but i know it wont be now.
sneezy,
surrey,
3 hours ago
cornelius,
Liverpool,
11 hours ago
Lets forget the causes of prostate cancer, we’ll just cut it out, only for it to grow again.
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