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In reply to the discussion: Tommy Chong Has Prostate Cancer, Says "Cannabis Is a Cure" [View all]NickB79
(19,356 posts)The new thinking with prostate cancer isn't to not diagnose and treat at all. It's to stop diagnosing past a certain age, because if you live to 70 and you're still cancer-free, you're most likely to develop the non-aggressive, benign form of prostate cancer that doesn't require surgery because you'd die of old age long before the tumor becomes dangerous. It's still recommended that men in their 40's-60's get tested regularly for prostate cancer, because they're the age group most at risk of the aggressive form.
Yes, this means that some men in their 70's and older will still die of aggressive prostate cancer simply because statistically they will exist. However, the trade-off is that many more men won't die of complications from unnecessary prostate surgery and treatment. It sucks, but until there's a simple, cheap and easy treatment for cancer it's the best system we have.