When Is A Cancer Not A Cancer?
A change may be coming
If some doctors have their way, low-grade prostate cancers may be reclassified as something other than cancer.
A recent Wall Street Journal article echoed what my first urologist told me a year ago: That some prostate cancers are so slow-moving that the term “cancer may not be accurate. In fact, using the word may be counterproductive.”
“The word ‘cancer’ engenders so much anxiety and fear,” says Dr. Laura Esserman. “Patients think if I don’t do something tomorrow, this is going to kill me. In fact, that’s not true.”
Esserman is a professor of surgery and radiology at the University of California, San Francisco and director of its Breast Care Center. She is a proponent of reclassifying low-grade forms of breast cancer.
My urologist initially told me that in some cases, “watchful waiting” was recommended rather than radiation or surgery. For low-risk cancers, this can be a safe option.
Per the article, “One study took 1,600 men with low-risk prostate cancer in the U.K. and randomly assigned them to get surgery, radiation or active surveillance. Fifteen years later, the researchers found that mortality rates for all the men were low, and similar for each group no matter which approach they took.”
Other doctors say that not using the word “cancer” might reduce anxiety and encourage these patients to adopt the monitoring strategy rather than surgery or radiation.
“With a different name,” the Journal says, “such as a premalignant lesion, patients would be alerted that it’s not a completely normal or benign condition but they wouldn’t be scared by the word ‘cancer.’”
Other doctors argue that renaming the condition could lead to a false sense of security. Dr. Adam Kibel, chair of the urology department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, worries about the high percentage of men with poor follow-up on the active surveillance strategy. He puts that number at 40-60 percent.
“What’s going to happen when we say they don’t have prostate cancer?” he says. “I think it’s going to go up.”
The Journal also notes, “Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis among men in the U.S. and the second-most deadly.”
Survivability increases with early detection, however. As I’ve said before, if you have a prostate, get tested.
Read the full article here:
https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/prostate-cancer-low-risk-treatment-rename-185b6e3f
Please keep in mind that I am not a medical professional and this blog does not provide individualized medical advice. If you think you are sick, you should seek treatment from a real doctor.
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Previous Installments:
1 - The Diagnosis
3- Easter Special - An Apology to Apostle Thomas
4- My Treatment
6-Night is the Darkest Time - The Mental Battle of Cancer
7-How To Be Prepared For A Health Crisis