Active Surveillance

Active surveillance is simply monitoring prostate cancer with the goal to avoid or delay unnecessary treatment in men with less aggressive cancer.
Prostate cancer can be slow growing and, for many men, the disease may never progress or cause any symptoms. In other words, many men with prostate cancer will never need any treatment.
Treatments for prostate cancer may cause side effects which can affect your quality of life. By monitoring the cancer with regular tests, you can avoid or delay treatment and associated side effects.
Active surveillance is suitable for men with low risk early stage prostate cancer that is contained within the prostate gland. It may also be suitable for some men with intermediate risk cancer.

Active surveillance might be recommended to you if:
• Your prostate cancer is small and appears to be slow-growing and composed of relatively normal-looking cells (this is determined by the pathologist from the prostate biopsy);
• You are likely to die from other causes (including old age) before your prostate cancer is likely to create problems for you;
• You and your physician decide that the possible side effects of more aggressive treatment outweigh the benefits of treatment.

Advantages:
• May outlive cancer growth
• Delay treatment and possible side affects

Disadvantages:
• Increases chances it could allow the cancer to spread outside gland

Active surveillance monitoring more...