For which cancer do doctors sometimes advise doing nothing
Dr. Daniel Keizman from the Sourasky Medical Center explains that for early-stage, low-risk prostate cancer, doctors may recommend active surveillance instead of immediate treatment. This approach helps avoid side effects but requires regular monitoring. For metastatic cancer, hormone therapy is the mainstay of treatment. The article emphasizes that prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Israel and that the approach should be individualized.
In an article written by Dr. Daniel Keizman, head of the urinary tract tumors department at the oncology division of the Sourasky Medical Center – Ichilov in Tel Aviv, for the Walla portal, it is explained that for early-stage prostate cancer, doctors sometimes choose active surveillance instead of immediate treatment. The author emphasizes that prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in Israel, most often diagnosed after age 60. Most cases are detected at an early stage, when there are no metastases yet. In such situations, for a localized low-risk tumor, one option may be active surveillance with delayed treatment, aiming to avoid side effects while regularly monitoring the tumor with MRI and biopsy. For higher-risk tumors, prostate removal, radiation therapy, or focal treatment are offered. If the cancer is already metastatic, the mainstay of treatment is hormone therapy that suppresses testosterone, sometimes combined with chemotherapy. The author notes that over the past decade, many new treatments have emerged, and the approach is now highly individualized. As an example of different disease courses, the story of former US President Joe Biden is cited, whose cancer was detected already at the metastatic stage. The article urges not to be frightened by the word 'cancer' and not to transfer one person's story to another, since the stage, biological characteristics of the tumor, and individualized treatment selection are key.