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Prostate Cancer Outcomes - Report Card
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Feb 17 11:45am | Replies (32)Comment receiving replies
Radiotherapy is lately a broad category, and I did not see it broken down. Photon vs Proton. 30,28, or 5 treatment protocols, View Ray vs ERBT, margins. So many variables. Then add in weather the patient had ADT or not along with the radiation. All have different results. Then throw in age. Studies show that ADT makes little difference if you are over 70 versus younger. Choosing which treatment is a such crap shoot. Glad I was 73 and if I get 15 years it makes me 88 and I sure don't want to be in a nursing home.
Replies to "Radiotherapy is lately a broad category, and I did not see it broken down. Photon vs..."
The report discusses EBRT using x-rays, so that would be photon and not proton.
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Well, this February 2023 report is of >8500 men between 2008 to 2018.
It will (likely) take time to assess and report on the 10+ year mortality and negative side effects of all the new radiation variants currently available.
It’s assumed all the latest radiation variants will demonstrate 97-99% 10+ year survival rates, or they shouldn’t even be considered. Of course, even this must be tested and proven (maybe they already have demonstrated that level of survivability).
IMHO the key takeaway from this report is that the mortality question is really no longer the relevant question…it’s hard to beat a 97-99% survival rate.
IMHO the only reason to consider a new treatment is that it can be shown to significantly reduce negative side effects.
If a new treatment doesn’t provide clear and indisputable evidence that the negative sides effects are significantly REDUCED, as compared to all the ones presented in this report card, then IMHO the jury is still out as to its value in replacing a known treatment.
I should make clear that I am only discussing new treatments that are recommended for those with Low and/or Intermediate Risk PCa. High risk and metastasized PCa is a different story.
Hopefully, there is (or soon will be) clear evidence that these newer treatments are statistically PROVEN to reduce treatment negative side effects.
I would be interested in seeing and evaluating such data, if anyone can provide source information.