Low-risk prostate cancer diagnoses and radiation use have steadily declined since 2010, registry data show

Retrospective · Cancer · 2026-10-27. Number 4 in the UrologyWatch Top 5 for October 28, 2026.

Across SEER, VA, and a Michigan radiation quality consortium, low-risk disease fell from 28.8% to 24.0% of localized diagnoses (SEER) and treatment avoidance in low-risk patients rose from 33.6% to 83.4% (SEER); among radiation-treated patients, the low-risk share dropped from 33.7% to 6.5% (SEER).

Why it matters: Raises the question of how diagnostic shifts and wider active surveillance uptake are together reducing radiation use in low-risk disease across settings.

Limitation: Retrospective registry analysis (SEER, VA, MROQC) cannot distinguish diagnostic pattern changes from treatment preference, or confirm causal drivers.

Source: Cancer · PubMed 42928983 · DOI 10.1002/cncr.70603

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