Home  Prostate cancer Questions and answers Watchful waiting
|
|
Watchful waiting or deferred treatment, means taking no immediate action to treat the cancer.
Although prostate cancer can be controlled by various treatments, these can have significant side effects. In many patients, the cancer may be causing no symptoms and in the short term these patients may feel less well, as a result of experiencing the side effects of treatment. In some cases, there may be no harm in delaying the start of treatment until the tumour shows signs of progressing or until symptoms occur. This is called watchful waiting or surveillance.
The rate at which the tumour is developing is checked by measuring blood levels of a substance called prostate specific antigen (the PSA test), and sometimes by doing other tests. In addition the development or worsening of any symptoms is closely monitored. It is important that the patient is seen regularly so that any change in tumour growth is detected. Treatment is only started when either symptoms appear or worsen, or there is a change in your condition. |
|
|
|