Study: 'Watchful waiting' improves prostate cancer outcomes

A new study suggests that "watchful waiting"--a more conservative approach to managing localized prostate cancer--may be a more effective approach than surgery or radiation.

A new study looked at 14,516 men who were not treated with surgery or radiation for six months after their Stage 1 or Stage 2 diagnosis with prostate cancer. The men were followed for a total of eight years.

The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that localized prostate cancer-specific survival rates were higher for men over age 65 during the period between 1992 to 2002. In fact, they experienced 60 to 74 percent lower prostate cancer deaths than men diagnosed in the 1970s and 1980s.

Researchers concluded that aggressive treatment for prostate cancer doesn't significantly improve survival for patients ages 65 and older.

To learn more about this study:
- read this UPI piece