New panel helps men with prostate problems weigh their treatment options

Many men who develop prostate problems are given a prescription to buy Flomax and the problem often goes away. However, for others, prostate issues can progress and eventually develop into cancer. These individuals face difficult choices when it comes to their treatment.

In order to help make this decision easier, a group of experts is currently working to develop a set of guidelines that will instruct men on the best course of action given the various stages and forms of prostate ailments, according to Kaiser Health News. The group is developing the recommendations as part of a larger program mandated by 2010's healthcare reform legislation.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Researcher Institute will provide information that will help men decide whether they should seek surgery, radiation therapy, medications like Flomax, or if they should simply wait to see how the tumor develops, officials told the news source.

The American Cancer Society estimates that about one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. The number of men with an enlarged prostate - sometimes considered a risk factor for cancer - is even greater.