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Watchful waiting safe for some prostate cancerWith "watchful waiting" or better "active surveillance", patients with early prostate tumors are monitored regularly and only treated if their cancer progresses. The researchers conclude that "Active surveillance with delayed treatment, if necessary, for select patients appears to be safe" and associated with a low risk of the cancer spreading, Despite the potential survival advantages associated with prostate cancer treatment, senior investigator Dr. Bertrand Guillonneau told Reuters Health, "there is still a large number of patients who are over-treated and who will suffer from prolonged side effects that impair their quality of life." "Active surveillance, based on strict criteria," added Guillonneau, "might be a way to sort out patients with growing tumor that requires treatment from quiescent tumor that will not progress." To study the safety of active monitoring instead of immediate treatment of men with low-risk prostate cancer, Guillonneau and colleagues studied 268 men younger than age 75 years. All of the men had been given multiple treatment options but ultimately chose active surveillance over immediate treatment. The men had early "low-risk" disease, based on their prostate specific antigen (PSA) level and initial biopsy findings. The men had a second "restaging" biopsy immediately before active surveillance began and no treatment in the following 6 months. They subsequently underwent physical exams and PSA tests every six months with biopsies recommended every 1 to 2 years. "Our study indicates that 75 percent of the patients who are real candidates for active surveillance will still fulfill the same criteria 5 years later, demonstrating the absence of noticeable (disease) progression," Guillonneau said. "These patients should still be closely monitored," he concluded, "but it seems likely, for many of them, the prostate cancer will not ultimately develop and will not require any kind of active and therefore morbid treatment." NOTE: Issues on this site regarding prostate cancer and treatment options, are provided for information only, and are not meant to substitute for the advice of your own physician or other medical professional. Prostate-Report.org does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment. |
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