Watchful Waiting
A man who has selected watchful waiting is a man who has chosen not to have immediate prostate cancer treatment. During the watchful waiting period, the physician keeps the cancer under close watch and this is why it sometimes is referred to as active surveillance.
The logic for watchful waiting is simple: prostate
cancer often develops very slowly. With watchful waiting, the patient
takes the time to consider possible treatment options. In some cases
particularly with older men the prostate cancer patient will die
of other causes rather than from prostate cancer.
Other factors that motivate men to choose watchful
waiting are the intrusiveness of many available treatments, the potential
side effects, and in some cases limited long-term data.
Watchful waiting
entails regular prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, digital
rectal exams (DRE) and/or other tests. "Waiting" means
being alert for any indication that the cancer has developed to the
point that it may require surgery or other treatment. |
