You had to consider the risks of doing nothing or having a fairly aggressive surgery like gastric bypass -- or doing something a little less aggressive like the Lap-Band, also called the adjustable laparoscopic banding system.

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And even with a cancer diagnosis, it's not clear that aggressive treatments such as surgery or radiation are always helpful.

MSN: Prostate cancer surgery fails to cut deaths in study

"It's not as aggressive a procedure" as traditional surgery but it isn't as effective based on patient satisfaction and elimination of acid in the esophagus, says Hiran C.

WSJ: New Surgical Option for Heartburn

Aggressive strategies for pain relief, like surgery, are expensive and risky, and they often don't help.

CNN: Plagued by chronic pain? Treatment teams can help

However, for those whose cancer is more aggressive, either already spreading or liable to spread beyond the prostate, or surgery is usually the first option.

BBC: Prostate cancer

Responses to a public consultation on cosmetic surgery have shown strong support for a ban on cut-price deals and aggressive selling.

BBC: Tighter restrictions on cosmetic surgery urged

But the pundits and strategists pushing for an emphasis on family or a better policy mousetrap or a more aggressive international posture or an evolved stance on social and environmental issues are much more in the business of cosmetic surgery than any of them would like to think.

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