A recent study led by Drs. Bashir Al Hussein Al Awamlh and Daniel Barocas from Vanderbilt University Medical Center reveal that survival rates for prostate cancer remain similar regardless of treatment choice.

 The 10-year study, published in JAMA, involved nearly 2,500 men treated for prostate cancer between 2011-2012. While overall physical and mental health levels were comparable across treatments, specific side effects varied.

Men with low-risk cancer who underwent surgery reported more sexual functioning problems up to 5 years post-treatment, but these differences became insignificant by the 10-year mark.

Surgery also led to a higher incidence of urinary leakage after a decade compared to radiation therapy. On the other hand, radiation therapy was associated with more serious bowel problems after 10 years.

For men with high-risk cancer, no significant differences were observed in sexual functioning between surgery and radiation therapy plus hormone therapy.

However, surgery resulted in a higher rate of urinary leakage after 10 years compared to radiation therapy. The study suggests that treatment decisions may be influenced by long-term adverse effects, given the similar survival rates among various strategies.