Doctors Suggest New Names for Low-Grade Prostate Cancer

A paper published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology is reviving a debate about dropping the word “cancer” when patients learn the results of these low-risk biopsy findings on April 18, 2022. Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr./CDC via AP

A cancer diagnosis is scary. Some doctors say it’s time to rename low-grade prostate cancer to eliminate the alarming C-word.

Cancer cells develop in nearly all prostates as men age, and most prostate cancers are harmless. About 34,000 Americans die from prostate cancer annually, but treating the disease can lead to sexual dysfunction and incontinence.