In my late 60s a routine PSA test led to a diagnosis of prostate cancer. It was an aggressive type and I was told that if untreated bone cancer would kill me in a couple of years. I had the recommended prostatectomy. A couple of years later, PSA levels started rising, indicating that some of the little bastard cancer cells were still around, so I had radiation treatment. I think will continue to get PSA tests if it’s quite all right with Johns Hopkins. I’d prefer to stick around.
Did those surgeries add 10+ years to 90 years old patients-nope they did not, the doctors never claimed it would but they “just had to cut out those cancers,” because they could!
Proving that years would or could most likely extend the life of guys in their 70s or even later, when fast growing prostate and bone cancer would vastly cut short healthy lives, is a good thing to go with, unless one chooses against treatments for their own reasons.
I seriously doubt that either of my aunties were asked if they wanted to proceed with those surgeries but surely at least one might have chosen against it she knew she’d not last a week!