The NHS is over-treating men for prostate cancer, a charity says, with around 5,000 a year undergoing treatment for cancers unlikely ever to cause harm.While most prostate cancer cases need treatment, around one in four are so slow growing men can opt for regular monitoring instead, avoiding the side-effects of surgery and radiotherapy such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction.Of the 56,000 diagnosed in the UK each year, around 6,500 men opt for this, but an analysis by Prostate Cancer UK said another 5,000 could benefit.The charity said outdated guidelines were to blame. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which produces them, said it was reviewing its advice.NICE recommends that monitoring, using blood tests and scans, should be offered to the lowest risk cases in England and Wales, where nine in 10 will have no signs of cancer spreading within five years.But research has suggested this could be extended to the next lowest risk group where eight in 10 men will have no signs of cancer spreading.Evidence gathered by Prostate Cancer UK suggests many hospitals have started offering monitoring to this wider group of patients, but a quarter have not.According to the analysis of data in England, this appears to have resulted in over-treatments rates of between 2% and 24% across different hospitals.The charity estimates this results in around 5,000 men a year getting treatment they do not always need instead of monitoring.Some of this could be down to patient choice – men are generally given th …
