Does the Radical Prostatectomy Ever Cure Anyone of Prostate Cancer?

Because of the new book, “Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery,” men are asking hard questions about what urologists tell them. The book points out that the popular prostate cancer operation, called the radical prostatectomy, has failed to increase overall survival in two randomized controlled studies (Holmberg et al. and Iversen et al.).

The radical prostatectomy is known for its side effects. It makes all men sterile, and there is a significant likelihood of suffering side effects such as a smaller penis, impotence, incontinence, and urinary strictures (scarring and blocking of the urinary passage).

“A cure, in my opinion, is something that restores you to normal health without permanent side effects. An emergency appendectomy can be a cure. However, the radial prostatectomy always leaves men with permanent side effects such as sterility and sexual dysfunction. At best, the radical prostatectomy is a sacrifice; not a cure,” says Dr. Hennenfent. “Many men can be found that say the radial prostatectomy destroyed their quality of life.”

Dr. Hennenfent is just one of many physicians who are speaking out about the radical prostatectomy and his book quotes several other doctors:

“Without a randomized controlled trial showing an improvement in overall survival, radical prostatectomy should not be accepted as standard treatment for newly diagnosed men with prostate cancer …. we still lack proof of its effectiveness.” - Charles E. Myers, M.D., Director, American Institute for Diseases of the Prostate.

"I expect that within five years we will see the death of the radical prostatectomy as a treatment for prostate cancer." - Dr. Gary Onik, Cryosurgeon and Director of Surgical Imaging at Celebration Health Hospital, Celebration, Florida.

“If radical prostatectomies worked, the data would be there. The reason the data is not there is because radical prostatectomies don’t work.” - Dr. Robert Leibowitz of Compassionate Oncology Medical Group. “No prospective randomized trial has ever found radical prostatectomy to be both necessary and effective.”

“Although I did the first ever nerve sparing radical prostatectomy at New York-Cornell Hospital, I’ve abandoned the radical prostatectomy for my prostate cancer patients. There is always a better treatment option. Urologists need to tell the truth and do what’s right based on the medical literature. It’s a mistake that urologists don’t give up their patients unless it’s a hopeless situation, when clearly the patients that are being operated on could be better served by other therapies.” - W. Reid Pitts Jr., M.D., FACS, of the urology group Draper, Lavengood, Ward, and Pitts, PC.

“Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery” enumerates several non-surgical treatments for prostate cancer and recounts inspiring success stories brought about by these treatments.

“Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery” devotes individual chapters to such treatments as watchful waiting, active non-invasive therapy, PC-SPES, radiation therapy, radiation seed implants, 3-dimensional radiation therapy, combined precision irradiation, cryotherapy, estrogen, prostate cancer vaccines and hormone blockade.

Dr. Hennenfent’s book also discusses what causes prostate cancer, how it can be prevented and how it is diagnosed.

The web site for the book is www.SurvivingProstateCancerWithoutSurgery.org.

Dr. Hennenfent is a leading prostate health activist who has seen five uncles suffer from prostate cancer. He previously wrote a book entitled “The Prostatitis Syndromes,” which tackles prostatitis, a disease characterized by inflammation of the prostate. Dr. Hennenfent co-founded the Prostatitis Foundation (www.Prostatitis.org), founded the Epididymitis Foundation (www.EpididymitisFoundation.org), and founded the Acoustic Neuroma Foundation (www.AcousticNeuromaFoundation.org).

"Surviving Prostate Cancer Without Surgery" can be found in fine bookstores everywhere. Biblio Distribution (800-462-6420) and Roseville Books/Rayve Productions (888-492-2665) distribute the book, which retails for $19.95, is a trade paperback, has 334 pages, 34 chapters, ISBN Number: 0-9717454-1-2, and was published January 15, 2005. Twenty-seven illustrations and cartoons are included within the book, which also includes an extensive index.

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