Up to 5,000 men a year could avoid potentially harmful treatment for prostate cancer if ‘outdated’ guidelines reflected the latest evidence, a charity has said.
Closely monitoring the disease with regular blood tests and scans can be the best option for those whose cancer is slow-growing and unlikely to endanger their life.
But out-of-date guidance from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) on how this is implemented has created a ‘wild west’ , with some hospitals adopting their own approach.
This has also led to a ‘postcode lottery’ of care, with patients in some parts of the country more likely to have unnecessary surgery, with the risk of side-effects such as erectile dysfunction or incontinence.
Potential overtreatment for prostate cancer ranges from 2% to 24%, depending on where men are in the country, according to Prostate Cancer UK.
