Unnecessary health care: NHS is overtreating men for prostate cancer due to outdated guidelines, charity warns
The NHS is overtreating men for prostate cancer because of outdated guidelines, according to a leading charity.
While most prostate cancer cases require treatment, around one in four are so slow-growing that men can choose regular monitoring instead, avoiding the side effects of surgery and radiotherapy such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction.
Of the 56,000 men diagnosed in the UK each year, around 6,500 opt for monitoring, but an analysis by Prostate Cancer UK said another 5,000 could benefit. The charity said outdated guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) were to blame. According to the BBC, NICE said it was reviewing its advice.
NICE currently recommends monitoring for the lowest-risk cases, where nine in 10 men will have no signs of the cancer spreading within five years. Research suggests this could be extended to the next-lowest risk group, where eight in 10 will remain without spread.
Evidence gathered by Prostate Cancer UK suggests many hospitals already offer monitoring to this wider group, but a quarter do not. According to the charity, this results in overtreatment rates of between 2% and 24% across hospitals, leading to around 5,000 men a year receiving treatment they may not need.
Some cases come down to patient choice, as men are generally given the option of treatment even if they are low-risk. However, the charity said more active promotion of monitoring could strengthen the case for a national screening programme.
Amy Rylance of Prostate Cancer UK said: “To reduce the harm caused by prostate cancer and build the foundations for a screening programme, we need to both save lives and prevent unnecessary treatment.”