New Article Highlights Radiation Therapy Messages
Modern radiation therapy is as effective as surgery in curing prostate cancer and GPs can help to ensure men know all their available treatment options if they are diagnosed with the disease.
Those are among the key messages of an important new article aiming to highlighting the importance of prostate cancer patients receiving the right information to make an informed decision about their treatment.
The article, entitled ‘The Modern Radiation Therapy and Hormone Therapy for Localised Prostate Cancer’ and written by A/Prof Sandra Turner and Dr Lucinda Morris, also highlights how treatment for prostate cancer is rarely urgent and how radiation therapy can be an effective and less invasive treatment than surgery for patients.
A/Prof Turner, radiation oncologist and Clinical Lead of the Targeting Cancer campaign, said the article explained the importance of prostate cancer patients being aware of all treatment options open to them.
“There are nearly always several options for the treatment of localised prostate cancer,” she said. “There is virtually never a need for immediate treatment, in particular urgent prostate removal.
“Modern radiation therapy is as effective as prostatectomy in curing prostate cancer, while advances in radiation therapy have significantly reduced serious side-effects and have improved the patient experience.
“We strongly encourage men with intermediate-risk and high-risk prostate cancer to consult radiation oncologists about the non-surgical options for treatment.”
About 18,000 Australian men are expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018, with an estimated 3,000 cases in New Zealand.
The article, which has been published via the renowned HealthMed.com.au website, aims to provide advice to GPs for referring prostate cancer patients.
“GPs can help to ensure men know all their treatment options for prostate cancer,” A/Prof Turner said. “They are also encouraged to ensure there is a referral to a radiation oncologist as part of the decision-making process and to let the urologist know if this has not already been done.
“This is not about promoting one treatment above another, but is simply about ensuring every man affected by this disease receives the information they have the right to as patients and as human beings.”
Click here to view the monograph: HE0001 Monograph 20 v4b or visit www.healthed.com.au for more information.
For full information on how radiation therapy can help diagnose and treat prostate cancer, click here.
