The “prostate cancer” label is very deceptive because it gives you the impression that all cancers are potentially deadly. However, this is absolutely UNTRUE. In fact, the prostate cancer label is a tricky catch-all for a variety of prostate cancers from those that appear to be mildly cancerous under the microscope but actually FAIL TO BEHAVE AS CANCERS CLINICALLY, to some that are potentially deadly.
Not only has the all-inclusive “prostate cancer” label simply exaggerated prostate cancer statistics to make it appear that all prostate cancers are life-threatening and common when they are NOT but, this cancer label has allowed easy fear-mongering by unprincipled urologists to push the men with non-deadly prostate cancers towards money-making but unneeded and unproven “treatments”.
The Gleason 3+3=6 Prostate “Cancer” FAILS to Behave as a Cancer
The very common Gleason 3+3=6 prostate “cancer” FAILS to behave as cancerous. In fact, on both clinical and molecular biology grounds, the Gleason 3+3=6 “cancer” (Gleason 6 or, G6) LACKS the hallmarks of a cancer (L. Klotz MD). Underscoring the sluggish behavior of the G6 is the fact that the G6 cell has a very long doubling time of 475 +/- 56 days so that from mutation to a growth of about 1 cm (smaller than half an inch) in diameter takes some 40 years. Furthermore, about 50% of 50 year old men have unrecognized and asymptomatic areas of G6 disease in their prostate and, that this so-called cancer fails to evolve and harm men suggests strongly that the G6 is simply a part of the aging process.
Since the G6 fails to behave as a prostate cancer clinically, it should NOT be labelled a cancer; not be screened for; not detected and, not treated with either focal therapy (laser, HIFU, cryoablation) or, whole gland treatment (radiation or proton beam – never robotic prostatectomy).
Only the 15% or so of high-grade prostate cancers with significant amounts (yet to be determined) of pattern (grade) 4 and or 5 disease in their Gleason score require detection and treatment as only these types of prostate cancers are potentially deadly.
https://urologyweb.com/gleason-6-prostate-cancer/
Bert Vorstman MD, MS, FAAP, FRACS, FACS