Prostate Cancer treatment varies widely in Canada

Low-risk prostate cancer patients in Canada may be opting for treatment with major life-changing side-effects without fully understanding other options, including the choice to forego treatment unless the disease progresses, a new report reveals.

While the report's data suggested that three-quarters of men with low-risk prostate cancer in Manitoba and Prince Edward Island had opted for active surveillance, more than half of low-risk prostate cancer patients in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia were treated with surgery, radiation, or a combination. Inconsistencies in the number of men placed on active surveillance suggest inconsistencies in its presentation to patients as a favorable option.

"One in eight Canadian men will face a diagnosis of prostate cancer in their lifetime," said Dr. Stuart Edmonds, Vice President, Research, Health Promotion and Survivorship at Prostate Cancer Canada. "The data contained in this report have the potential to provide important evidence to improve practice and lead to better outcomes for men."