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(Taiwan English News / Comprehensive report by Huang Ziti) Is surgery really the best treatment for prostate (prostate) cancer patients? A more than ten-year follow-up study shows that active tracking may be a better choice.

Associated PressAccording to reports, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (National Institute for Health and Care Research) commissioned an external study to divide patients with localized prostate cancer, that is, without metastasis to the lymph nodes, into three groups to explore the possibility of surgery. Removal of tumors, radiation therapy, and tracking are three options that are better than others. It turned out that there was not much difference.

The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on the 11th.

The study began in 1999. A total of 1,600 British men with localized prostate cancer participated in the study and were randomly divided into three groups: surgery, radiotherapy, and follow-up. The follow-up group had regular blood draws, and some still had surgery or radiation therapy afterwards. Because most prostate cancers progress slowly, research took many years.

After 15 years, it was found that the survival rate of all patients was quite high, reaching 97%, which can be said to be quite exciting news. After all, treatment may cause sexual problems or urinary incontinence, and patients are not without reason to fear.

During this period, the mortality rates of each group were the follow-up group (3.1%), the radiotherapy group (2.9%), and the operation group (2.2%). Statistically, there was no significant difference. In terms of cancer cell spread, follow-up group (9.4%), radiotherapy group (5%), surgery group (4.7%).

However, since the research started more than ten years ago, the tracking technology is now better, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and genetic testing have made great progress. Experts believe that it is possible to detect and intervene immediately when cancer cells are deteriorating and before they spread. As far as the United States is concerned, about 60% of low-risk patients currently choose the active tracking method.

The importance of this research lies in the fact that patients who are diagnosed with cancer and do not know what to do should not panic. They should consider the benefits and disadvantages of various therapies, and do not make a sudden decision to “treat” the tumor, perhaps through active treatment first. Just track it. Of course, the lead author of the study, Freddie Hamdy of the University of Oxford, emphasized that a small number of high-risk patients or patients with other serious diseases still need immediate intervention.

Prostate cancer surgery-free 15-year long-term study: Active follow-up is effective

(Taiwan English News/Comprehensive foreign report by Zhu Mingzhu) According to the new recommendations issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this Thursday (9th), regardless of whether there is a risk of infection, it is recommended that adults receive type B at least once in their lives. Hepatitis testing. This is the first time the CDC has updated its guidelines on liver B screening since 2008.

Hepatitis B and C are the main causes of chronic liver disease for hundreds of millions of people around the world, and are also the most common causes of cirrhosis, liver cancer and hepatitis-related deaths. Therefore, to eradicate liver diseases must start with increasing the screening rate.

Hepatitis B is a global disease. Since the main route of infection is that the blood and body fluids infected by the hepatitis B virus enter the human body through the skin or mucous membranes, it can be divided into mother-to-child transmission and horizontal infection. Therefore, in the past, the CDC only recommended screening for high-risk groups, including injecting drug users, pregnant women, and HIV-infected people.

But now this change proves that it is no longer enough to appeal to high-risk groups for screening. After all, active screening and timely treatment during the hepatitis stage can greatly reduce liver damage, and reduce the risk of hepatitis and death.

In addition, CDC has added three high-risk groups for hepatitis B, including prison inmates, inmates in detention facilities (whether they are in custody or have been released from prison); those with a history of sexually transmitted infections or multiple sexual partners; and those with a history of hepatitis C infection. of patients.

The CDC stated that do not ignore valuable screening opportunities because of misunderstandings or fear of being stigmatized. Most liver diseases have no obvious symptoms, and people are prone to delay seeking medical treatment due to lack of vigilance.

【Encyclopedia of Liver B】

In Taiwan, chronic liver disease, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer are mainly caused by hepatitis B and C virus infection, but about two-thirds of the carriers do not know that they are carriers, and the liver has no nerves, so they often wait until Seek medical attention only at the end stage of liver disease.

After infection with hepatitis, the incubation period is about 3 months. Most people are asymptomatic, but a small number of people will have abdominal discomfort, loss of appetite, general weakness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, jaundice (such as yellow skin and whites of eyes), tea-colored urine, etc. situation. Chronic carriers often have no symptoms or only appear easily tired and tired.

The National Health Service began in August 2008 to provide people who were born after the 55th year of the Republic of China (inclusive) and aged 45 and above, with adult preventive health care services, to receive one-time hepatitis B and C screening services for life. Since June 1, 2018 At first, people with aboriginal status aged 40 to 60 can be combined with adult preventive health care services and receive life-long hepatitis B and C screening services.

Those who do not meet the qualifications for adult preventive health care examinations and have not yet undergone hepatitis B and C screening can use the adult preventive health care services provided by the National Health Service (every 3 years for 40-60 years old, and once a year for those over 65 years old 1 time), carry out liver function “GPT, GOT and other items” checks, and those who have abnormal liver function can receive the necessary viral hepatitis test, follow-up and treatment according to the doctor’s advice, so as to avoid becoming chronic Liver disease and cirrhosis.

Two-thirds are hepatitis B carriers without knowing that the US CDC has added 3 high-risk groups, calling on adults to be screened