Loading...
Which treatment is best for localized prostate cancer is not well established. To compare treatment strategies, investigators reviewed 473 observational studies and 18 randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in which biochemical or clinical outcomes were reported.
Major treatment options were compared in only three RCTs. One RCT involved primarily men whose prostate cancer was not identified through prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening; compared with watchful waiting, radical prostatectomy lowered all-cause mortality (30% vs. 24%) and cancer-specific mortality (15% vs. 10%) at 10 years and was effective only among men younger than 65 (Journal Watch May 20 2005). A small RCT showed no benefit, and another small RCT showed that radical prostate…