Watchful Waiting- - What is That?

Question: Watchful Waiting-- What is That?

Answer:

Watchful Waiting-- A Research Based Viable Option

What is watchful waiting? Simply described, it is when a man diagnosed with prostate cancer chooses to avoid treatment at this time. During a watchful waiting period, the physician closely watches the cancer for signs of development.

Watchful waiting is based on the following fact: Prostate cancer often develops very slowly.

Watchful waiting may be considered by the following men:

• Men with small tumors, and low PSA and Gleason numbers;
• Men who quite old and will probably die of other causes than prostate cancer;
• Men who are in poor health from other diseases;
• Men who are very fearful of treatment and feel that side effects are worse than waiting.

Watchful waiting is being chosen by less men today because new, minimally invasive treatments with few side effects are now options that weren't available a few years ago.

During a watchful waiting period, PSA tests, digital rectal exams and other tests are performed on a regular basis to detect any concerning changes which may signal a need for treatment.

Advantages of Watchful Waiting

The primary advantage of watchful waiting is the avoidance of the complications and side effects of prostate cancer treatments. This is especially a consideration if you are very old, or your life is threatened by other diseases. In this case, watchful waiting may allow you to maximize your quality of life.

Some choose watchful waiting when their cancer is small and the threat of fast growth is low. This allows a man time to explore the various treatments available to make an informed, well planned decision about his treatment.

Risks/Disadvantages

The primary risk of watchful waiting is that cancer growth is undetected, or the tumors are actually larger and/or more aggressive than thought. Prostate cancer can suddenly begin to grow and go metastatic between doctor visits forcing more aggressive treatment and increasing the risk of death.

Summary

Watchful waiting is a viable option for some men diagnosed with prostate cancer. With the advent of new minimally invasive treatments that cause fewer side effects, watchful waiting is chosen by less men than even a few years ago. Primary candidates for watchful waiting are men who are of an advanced age or men with other diseases that threaten their lives.