Whats the problem in detecting prostate cancer too early?
When men hear they have cancer, and their significant others even sometimes more so, right away they think of metastases and death, because that’s true for people they know who have had many other cancers. Therefore the fear: prostate cancer. I’m going to die of it. The statistics indicate that the chance of that occurring is not very high at all. Q: Why would doctors not rush to remove small cancers? A: Prostate cancer, even in the worst grade, does not grow quickly. It often grows extremely slowly. If one looks at those with Gleason 6, which is the lowest grade, at 10 years the disease-specific survival is well over 95 percent. Gleason 6 prostate cancer does not kill many people. Some people are going to have to have treatment, but it may take five to 10 to 15 years to require treatment. Q: Is there a way to know when a cancer will be slow or fast-growing? A: First is the grade of the cancer. The grade goes from 6 to 10 and probably 95 percent of men are going to have a Gleason 6 or
