Prostate cancer overtreatment: Risks, complications and the way forward

Prostate cancer affects more than half of males by age 80. Yet, early intervention can lead to complications that profoundly reduce quality of life. In the latest episode of “Inside U Miami Medicine,” luminaries in the field of urology mull over the complex question: Does every prostate cancer diagnosis require immediate treatment?

Dr. Ian Thompson, professor emeritus at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, has spent his career studying this conundrum. During this episode, he discusses seminal findings in large-scale trials that showed invasive treatments are associated with substantial, potentially life threatening conditions.

“What took my breath away was the rate of bladder cancer after radiation,” Dr. Thompson said. “A threefold increased risk of bladder cancer…”

Dr. Dipen Parekh, founding director of the Desai Sethi Urology Institute and chief operating officer for UHealth–University of Miami Health System, also joins the conversation.