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Howard Wolinsky's avatar

I asked my urologist Dr. Brian Helfand, an AS guru from NorthShore University Health system outside Chicago, to comment: "This is a study that was designed many years ago. Therefore, this trial represents 15-year data .which is important to obtain for prostate cancer trials since the tumor growth rate is slow.

"It is important to understand that subjects in this trial were randomly assigned to one of three groups: active surveillance, surgery and radiation. The active surveillance arm is different from many protocols today. Nonetheless this study shows that for many men with low-risk and favorable intermediate-risk prostate cancer, you can achieve similar cancer outcomes whether you watch patients or provide definitive treatment. However, while it did not reach statistical significance, there is about a twofold lower risk of metastasis and dying from prostate cancer with surgery or radiation. These differences were more prevalent in men with intermediate-risk disease. However, this potential benefit should be weighed against the risks of treatment."

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BodyCop's avatar

A doctor will always be able to find something wrong with you if you allow them to or complain enough. A doctor was educated to do something, and he/she wants to make you better, as that is why they sought out their profession. A doctor will try to fix that which they are a specialist of, and save the side effects for the next doctor, regardless of the quality of life issues, as they will convince themselves that they are saving your life. A doctor will give you pills, shots and surgeries as long as you have the insurance or money to pay for it. A doctor will say that there is nothing more that they can do for you after all the money is gone. If something goes wrong, the doctor will not take responsibility for it, but instead say, every body is different. A doctor will not guarantee their work, like a mechanic will, but instead blame the victim for their poor health. A doctor’s job is to make money for himself, his staff, his facility, the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry. A doctor will try to instill fear in the patient in order to convince the patient that they need the doctor and the medical institutions. A doctor is a person who must believe in their ability regardless of their ability. A doctor is a doctor no matter how they placed in their class. A doctor has emotional baggage. A doctor practices medicine, they are not experts in restoring you to your original state or perfect health. A doctor has not been in your shoes. A doctor seldom does to themselves what they are doing to you. A doctor goes home at the end of the day without the repercussions of your listening to and doing what they have done to you. A doctor is looked upon as an expert and therefore is trusted even when they admit that they cannot guarantee anything. A doctor will never be able to prove that they saved your life if the are treating you for a disease that is not immediately killing you. A doctor has responsibilities outside of their profession that affect their decision making objectives. Your doctor might not like you. A doctor might not like themself, their life, or the choices that they have made.

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