Q. An elderly patient with prostate cancer not uncommon at that stage of life, is presented by his doctors with two equal choices for treatment; one is surgical removal of the gland and the other is clearing the tumor by radiation. Is there an Halachic preference to one of those treatment?
A. There is an ample Halachic background on the surgical removal of the prostate as affecting the prohibition of "Lo yavo pezu'a dako ukerus shafchah bekehal haShem. (One with wounded testicles or severed member shall not enter into the assembly of Hashem." (Devorim 23: 2). See Otzar Haposkim 12: 257: 58 for a detailed exposition of the different cases, possibilities and the different Poskim's opinions involved.
Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is that although, there are permitted surgical procedures, if all options are basically equal, it is better when possible to avoid this surgery.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a
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