AK-Tiv Servay-lents) Monitor the patient's condition closely, but do not give him any treatment unless there are changes in test results that show that the condition is worsening. Active prostate cancer surveillance is used to avoid side effects of treatment when the risk of prostate cancer progressing is very low. If localized prostate cancer (cancer that has not spread to distant sites, such as bones and lymph nodes) is diagnosed, treatment for the disease can take many forms, depending on the risk category of the disease. Patients with low-grade, slow-growing tumors confined to the Remote Surveillance Trailer in Sparks NV may consider possibility of carrying out active surveillance. This involves controlling prostate cancer in its localized stage until the doctor believes that additional treatment is needed to stop the disease at a curable stage.
Active prostate cancer surveillance is a treatment option for early-stage prostate cancer. It includes regular checkups and tests to see if a tumor is growing. Active surveillance means delaying cancer treatment until your situation changes. Delaying treatment does not affect life expectancy.
Active surveillance is one way to control localized (early) prostate cancer, rather than treating it right away. You might hear it called active monitoring. The World Health Organization defined active surveillance as the collection of information on case studies as a pre-organized continuous process (The importance of pharmacovigilance). If you have new symptoms or the tumor grows, the oncologist will discuss discontinuing active surveillance and switching to medical treatment.
Active surveillance should not be confused with watchful waiting, another observational strategy for men who would not be eligible for curative treatment (surgery, radiation) because of their limited life expectancy. You can decide to undergo treatment at any time, no matter how long you have been under active surveillance. Your doctor may use active surveillance or watchful waiting to monitor you if you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. However, you may need prostate biopsies while under active surveillance, and these may cause some short-term side effects.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Center guidelines recommend active surveillance as the preferred treatment option for men with a very low risk of disease and a life expectancy of less than 20 years, and for those with a low-risk disease and a life expectancy of less than 10 years; and an option for those with a low-risk disease and a life expectancy of 10 years or more, or an intermediate-risk disease and a life expectancy of less than 10 years. You might consider active prostate cancer surveillance if the cancer is small, is expected to grow very slowly, is confined to an area of the prostate, and isn't causing signs or symptoms. During active prostate cancer surveillance, prostate cancer is closely monitored for any changes. Active surveillance is a treatment option for localized prostate cancer that can be offered to appropriate patients who would also be eligible for aggressive local treatments (surgery and radiation therapy), with the intention of intervening if the disease progresses. Active surveillance is not the same as watchful waiting, which is a different way to control prostate cancer.
Several centers are actively enrolling men in active surveillance programs and have published results on this prostate cancer treatment strategy. They will explain to you how active surveillance works and will answer your questions so that you are comfortable with your decision. You should have an MRI the first time you undergo active surveillance to make sure the cancer hasn't spread outside the prostate. The oncologist may call your treatment an “active prostate cancer surveillance protocol” or “treatment guidelines”.”.
