Read Dr Phil White's Key Points on Prostate Cancer
Read Dr Phil White's key points and recommendations on Prostate Cancer. Learn that symptoms are almost always a sign of some other prostate problem, not cancer, and that even men diagnosed with prostate cancer usually die from something else not related...
Key Points
- Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in New Zealand, but most is diagnosed over 70.
- It is rare under the age of 60.
- Despite the increasing publicity it receives, the death rate from prostate cancer is not increasing, and the vast majority of New Zealand men die of other causes (mainly heart disease and strokes, accidents, and other cancers).
- Most prostate problems are not cancerous, and “prostate” symptoms are almost always a sign of some other prostate problem, not cancer.
- PSA testing and rectal examinations are not reliable methods for screening for prostate cancer.
- A raised PSA test is not usually caused by prostate cancer- in other words, it is caused by some other factor.
- Even when diagnosed, most prostate cancers do not require treatment as they develop very slowly, they hardly ever spread, and they will not affect our quality of life or our life expectancy.
- An aggressive approach to the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer can cause significant complications, and have a significant impact on our quality of life. This has to be weighed against the risks of not treating if prostate cancer is diagnosed.
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