Newspaper article questioning treatment

gardner
gardner Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
I have been recently dianosed with PC and
have choosen after talking with a number of
friends I have since learned also share my
problem to have surgery which is scheduled
Mar. 20 Tues. Funny how it happens that when
you discover you have a problem everone in
class raises their hand with the same thing.
I'm 65 in otherwise good health - so taking
the rotten apple out to save the barrel (no
pun intended) was the logical alternative by
my way of thinking.
I have pretty well got my head together
preparing myself for the surgery when I
got an article in the mail from an unknown
sender intitled 'Prostate cancer: to screen
or not.." by a Christophier Conte who is a
Washington based freelance writer. I am un-
able to identify the paper, but it appears to be a Sunday roto type section dated March
2001. The article suggests that perhaps no
treatment is of any lasting value as you will remain free of it from whatever treatment for only perhaps 10 years,
and that there is no point in trying to rid
oneself of it. Needless to say, this has
rattled my confidence and mind set. Any
ideas from anyone out there who may have
incountered this article or the idea in general ? Mark Daniels mdaniels@milwpc.com

Comments

  • 2375dgg
    2375dgg Member Posts: 29
    #2
    All I can say is that to die of prostate cancer is a horrible way to go. Look around you and see all the persons who have been treated who are still alive! I guess if I were over 85, I might consider saying to heck with it. RP and Seeds both have a 15 year benefit compared to doing nothing. Dennis
  • cooleydd
    cooleydd Member Posts: 7
    #3
    There is a lot of question on screening and when you should treat and how. Let me give you three things to read from my non-commercial web site that I think may be of interest to you.

    "Insignificant Cancer" at http://www.cooleyville.com/cancer/cainsig.htm

    "Lets Discuss Failure" at http://www.cooleyville.com/cancer/cafail.htm

    "Who Should/Should Not Have Surgery" at http://www.cooleyville.com/cancer/cacawhop.htm

    Don Cooley
    Email: cooleydd@pacbell.net
    Web: http://www.cooleyville.com/cancer
  • stxdave
    stxdave Member Posts: 3
    #4
    I personally believe the article to be fringing on criminal behavior. It would try to set PC scanning back 10 years. The only way PCa treatment is going to get better is for treatment to be tried and tested. We may be guinea pigs to some extent at this time, but so were breast cancer patients 30 years ago.
    I think the writer, and his experts, have a very shallow understanding of our demise. I wrote the AARP a very scathing letter, asking for a response from proponents of scanning and treatment. I think they believe us to be dirty old men with a sexual problem.
    Stxdave
  • 2375dgg
    2375dgg Member Posts: 29
    #5
    If you want to read an excellant article about prostate cancer, read the 3-19-01 Wall Street Journal article in the Encore section, A Guide to Life after 55, page R 12, it features a number of persons including Rick L Ward who works with the Blue Ribbon Cancer Awareness pin. http://pages.prodigy.net/dgaarder is my web site for my story. Dennis Gaarder
  • jjfvm
    jjfvm Member Posts: 2
    #6
    Dear Mark,
    I am no expert, only a fellow patient. My understanding, from extensive reading, is that recurrence rate is high after 10 years, even when radical surgery was the elected treatment, may be in the region of 50%. A lot depending on the cancer's stage of development at the time.
    There is indeed a school of thought proposing no action at all if the patient is not very young and the tumor is contained and not very aggressive.
    But, of course, doctors know best.
    The very best of luck to you.
    JJFVM

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