prostate-report.org

New guideline endorses active surveillance

In its new guidelines, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of 21 leading cancer centers across the U.S, recommends active surveillance for men deemed to have “very low risk” prostate cancer and a life expectancy of less than 20 years. Also, the organization recommends this strategy if a man’s prostate cancer is considered “low risk” and his life expectancy is less than 10 years.

NCCN’s goal is to identify men likely to have slow-growing tumors and prevent unnecessary treatments that can render them incontinent or impotent.

Because urologists can’t determine which prostate cancers are harmless there’s a possibility, following active surveillance strategy, that an aggressive cancer to be missed and the window for potentially life-saving treatment missed. By that logic, many doctors suggest it’s safer to intervene than adopt a “wait and see” strategy. And indeed, most doctors recommend surgery, radiation or other therapies, and more than 90 percent of patients follow their advice. However, there’s mounting evidence that active surveillance works without adding to prostate cancer’s death toll.