This forum is for the discussion of anything to do with Prostate Cancer. There are only four rules:
No fundraisers, no commercials (although it is OK to recommend choices of treatment or medical people based on your personal research; invitations to participate in third-party surveys are also acceptable, provided there is no compensation to YANA);
No harvesting e-mail addresses for Spam;
No insults or flaming - be polite and respectful at all times and understand that there may be a variety of points of view, all of which may have some validity;
Opinions are OK, but please provide as much factual evidence as possible for any assertions that you are making
Failure to abide by these simple rules will result in the immediate and permanent suspension of your posting privileges.
Since this is an International Forum, please specify your location in your post.
I’m alive and well and living down here in the Mexico of Australia (for non-Australians, Queenslanders tend to refer to anyone south of their border as Mexicans) enjoying a lovely cool winter. You are very perceptive in assuming I had a break because I did indeed break my arm at the end of April and even now it is not fully functional, although I can do most things. Guess it takes a while for a 70 year old bone to heal. At first I could only process words with one finger on my left hand, which slowed things down somewhat. I have also started a refurb of the site, which is taking a fair bit of time, of which more in another post.
I haven’t seem much about the PIVOT study lately. In fact Mike Scott in his comments this year in May on a piece he published in May last year The initial results of the PIVOT study says he is “ …… disturbed that … a year later … there is still no formal publication of the results of the PIVOT trial.” It is worth reading his original comments and those posted on this piece.
I hesitate to ascribe any motivation for action or inaction, but there must be enormous pressure not to publish yet another study that shows no clear and significant value in early invasive therapies. Frank makes a valid point concerning the number of deaths from early stage, low risk tumors, the diagnosis of most men today. There is indeed a very low mortality rate among such men, but then again there is a very low prostate cancer mortality rate in the male population. It is less than 3% in the US and has been for years.
All the best (and especially for the Origin Series where you may need a bit of luck)
Your thoughts are appreciated and taken on board. Thankyou.
Far too many men confronted with life altering decisions in the abscence of any definitive guidelines.
It's a frustrating reality.
At this point in time, under these circumstances, an "informed choice" is not an available option for those in the low - med risk category. May as well just roll the dice.
Variables in each case I realise are immense, but studies to date, appear to be undertaken with parameters that present with results that lack any cohesion.
Add to the mix, too common advice - to act immediately on any positive biopsy.
Makes me want to scream from a rooftop - This is just NOT good enough!
Terry,
Glad to hear that you're on the mend - can't keep a good man down!
Don't be getting too excited about tomorrow night.
Keep in mind - One paltry win does not maketh the series...
