Europa Uomo Board members author new AS paper

The non-aggressive approach that active surveillance offers for men with prostate cancer can result in significant quality of life benefits. But despite this, eligible patients and their families are often reluctant to go down this route. A new journal article by authors from Europa Uomo explores this issue.

The review, published in Acta Scientific Applied Physics and written by Europa Uomo Board members Tania Estapé and Cosimo Pieri, suggests that “we have etched in our mental diagrams that if it is cancer, it must be removed as soon as possible”.

Even when the benefits have been explained to eligible patients, there is reluctance, and this can be because of several reasons, say the authors.

• Sometimes doctors themselves feel more confident with the active treatments they were trained to perform, and this influences the way they present options
• Pressure from relatives, who tend to think it is better for the patient to opt for active treatments
• Patients’ own desire to “control the situation”
• Regular visits for check-ups may cause anxiety

“It is necessary to continue working to help patients and their families connect to a reality that at the time of diagnosis, and all the impact it entails, is difficult for them to consider,” conclude the authors.

You can download the full paper here.