Private MD News

For some men with prostate cancer, avoiding treatment is the best option

Category: Prostate

Men who have received a positive prostate cancer test have many treatment options at their disposal. However, a growing number of men are choosing to simply monitor their condition and not take steps to remove or kill the growth.

The strategy is called active surveillance or watchful waiting. It involves frequent PSA testing and blood testing to ensure that the growth is not progressing to a more malignant stage. It is endorsed for men with low-grade cancer by both the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute.

Julia Hayes, a Dana Farber Cancer Institute researcher who recently studied the effects of this treatment strategy, told Men's Health the purpose of watchful waiting is to avoid the side effects that are often associated with prostate cancer treatments.

Often, prostate cancer surgery and radiation therapy cause sexual side effects and impact men's quality of life. If a prostate tumor is low-risk and unlikely to ever become malignant, it may make more sense to avoid treatment.

"Active surveillance is a reasonable alternative to initial treatment for men with low-risk prostate cancer," Hayes told the news source.