Prostate Cancer Treatment - Watchful Waiting - The Diigo Meta page

• 23 Jul 08
  

  ken zhang

  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.

  prostate_cancer watchful

  • 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.

  • Choosing   “watchful waiting”
      Generally, watchful waiting is appropriate for men who meet one or more of these criteria:

     

    • Short life   expectancy
      • Have significant other illnesses
      • Have small tumors, a low Gleason score, and a low PSA level
      • Any man fearful of treatment, regardless of age or health, also may choose watchful waiting.

             

    Effectiveness   of watchful waiting   If you meet the criteria for watchful waiting, you may avoid the discomfort and possible side effects of treatment by choosing this option. If you have limited remaining life span or other serious disease, watchful waiting may enable you to maximize your quality of life and avoid prolonged recovery and other complications.

     

     

  • Risks   of watchful waiting
      The major risk of watchful waiting is that without treatment, prostate cancer can grow and spread outside the prostate capsule before your next doctor's visit.  

     

    Even small, slow-growing tumors may become rapidly growing tumors if left untreated. And sometimes prostate cancer that appears to be small and slow growing may be larger and more aggressive than originally thought.

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