Ignore Conventional Wisdom About Aggressive Prostate CA Treatment And You May Live Longer
Friday, July 13, 2007
Steve Wilkins, Masters in Public Health, Cancer Advocate and Caregiver
I’ll never forget it when a local thoracic surgeon quoted us the survival statistics for someone with Stage IIIb NSCLC. Referring to the studies as “conventional wisdom,” the doctor preceded to suggest that my wife wouldn’t be around much longer. The problem was that his version of “conventional wisdom” was based upon studies that we knew to be 20-30 years old and out of date relative to treatment advances. That was almost three years ago and my wife is healthy and cancer free, thank you very much.
Accepting conventional wisdom at face value can be dangerous, at least when it comes to your health. Take prostate cancer for example. According to the authors of a recent study of men with aggressive prostate cancer, most men diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer are told that their disease is untreatable. The study authors attributed this to the“pessimism that abounds among many doctors, who believe that aggressive prostate cancers are beyond cure and should only be followed with watchful waiting.” In layman terms that means don’t do anything.
Amazingly the study which appeared in the March 2007 Journal of Urology found just the opposite. According to study which looked at 453 cases of localized aggressive prostate cancer, “surgical removal of the prostate (prostatectomy) or radiation treatment more than doubles life expectancy” (e.g., 14 years) compared to those receiving the a conservative approach (e.g., < 7 years).
What are the take always?
1). Question everything your doctor tells you. Do your own homework and get the facts.
2). If you don’t like what you hear from your doctor, get a second opinion.
3). Be highly skeptical of conventional wisdom especially when it applies to your health.
4 Comments:
At Tue Jul 17, 10:33:00 AM 2007,
Anonymous said…
Your wife is cancer free with stage 3b lung cancer?
I propose that your wife was misdiagnosed or understaged.
The survival rate for IIIb NSCLC is essentially ZERO.
I do however agree that high-risk prostate cancer patients benefit from treatment - with hormones. If they are symptomatic. And don't have other health problems. And are followed closely.
At Thu Jul 19, 11:09:00 AM 2007,
Steve said…
Dear Anonymous,
Actually my wife was misdiagnosed as we later learned. In fact she was Stage IV. She is one of number of advanced NSCLC patients that are being successfully managed by daily oral doses of Tarceva by her doctors at MD Anderson. Now you see why I am not a big believer in "conventional wisdom." What if you had been her doctor...?
At Tue Oct 23, 08:25:00 AM 2007,
Anonymous said…
I am IIIb nsclc - dx 3/2007 = completed 1st line of treatment with good tolerance. Now 10/15/2007 there is a new growth, very small 13cc, in my upper right lobe - there has been talk of chemo as well as Tarceva or another targeted therapy. Can yu tell me who your wife's doctor was at MD Anderson and what her original treatment was? I know everyone is different but IIIb is IIIb - was she a smoker?
I am trying to gather information.
At Mon Nov 03, 09:13:00 AM 2008,
Anonymous said…
I do hope you will answer. I'm type 4 - started left lung, small spot, burst, spread to right lung, radiated brain for small lesion 5 times, and radiated right hip once. Have me scheduled for chemo and rad. on the 13th. In my heart I don't think I'll make it. Have changed eating habits but the outlook is very shady. I think the treatment might kill me even sooner and there should be some dignity in death.
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