I am not sure what percentage of patients still require surgery as opposed to the more modern radiation treatments. My father's radiation treatment was painless except for the placement of the 3 tracking markers in his prostate, and although his side effects were more severe than most, they have disappeared after 3 months. So if prostate cancer treatment does not affect eventual death from the cancer over 11 years, then the questions are whether the treatment improve QOL during the 11 years, and whether the onset is delayed within that 11 years.