Active
Surveillance (Deferred Treatment or Watchful Waiting)
Prostate
cancer is unusual in that it often occurs in older men and may
be slow growing. So in some cases it may be best not to treat
the cancer at all.
Surveillance
previously called 'watchful waiting' is often recommended by a
doctor when the cancer is small (early stage) and is not very
fast growing (low grade). In addition, in men 75 years and over,
other conditions may be more of a threat to life.
It
does not make sense for a man then to have to go through a treatment
for prostate cancer which can have its own risks, when there may
not be a benefit from it. In general, men over 75 years of age
will die of other medical conditions, such as strokes or heart
attacks, before the prostate cancer causes any symptoms.
If
you are a younger man, less than 65 years of age and have been
diagnosed with cancer of the prostate gland, surveillance may
still be an option. This decision should be discussed between
your doctors, yourself and your partner. This option will depend
on the stage your cancer has reached, how rapidly it is likely
to grow, your level of health, biopsy results and your own preferences
for intervention.
