Watchful Waiting for Prostate Cancer Treatment

Did you know that nearly 200,000 people are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year? Quite alarming if you come to think of it. However, most cases are actually low grade. This means that the tumors are slow growing and small. So slow and small that really is not much danger of death. In fact, most of these people will probably die of something else before you even cancer starts to get them.

However, most people with low-grade cancer immediately jump into the traditional prostate cancer treatments such as surgery or radiation therapy. Without being fully aware of the possible consequences. Or May they be aware of them, but they just do not understand how big the impact will be. More than a feeling of getting it out and more than a logical approach to their problem.

then are stuck with the leading miserable sex life at the top of his endless runs to the bathroom. What could have been avoided if they decided to consider watchful waiting and only treating cancer as it progresses -. If progress

Let's say you have been diagnosed with low-grade, slow-growing prostate cancer. Which would you choose? To deal with the side effects of treatment and maintain their quality of life? See you actually have the ability to set aside the conventional treatments and just turn to them when the time comes. If and when required. But for now? Just enjoy life as it is.

This is what we call - watchful waiting

What is Watchful Waiting?
Watchful waiting or active surveillance is an option for the management of prostate cancer. That means deciding not to resort to traditional treatments such as radiation, surgery, implants and seeds just yet.

Watchful waiting does not mean it is not going to do anything about it. Instead, you are just delaying treatment, if possible, so you'll still get delayed side effects continue to live life as it is meant to be lived -. Manhood intact

with watchful waiting, your condition must be monitored regularly, of course. This means that your PSA every 3-6 months, through annual biopsies to assess whether cancer cells have spread and become aggressive. If tests reveal the aggressive growth of tumors, therefore, that the only time when the patient can begin appropriate treatment.

FACT: It turns out nearly 70% of those with elevated PSA is back with a negative biopsy. Also, for some, PSA readings can vary by more than you would think from day to day.

Obviously your relationship with your doctor is crucial here. Since it is necessary to work closely in the assessment, monitoring and device management.

The role of biopsy
A biopsy is a very important part of watchful waiting, routine, since the only way for doctors to get an insight they need about the progress of cancer. During the biopsy, the pathologist can stage cancer, as well as to assess whether the cancer has any potential to get aggressive.

How effective is watchful waiting? - Statistics says it all
According to one study, people who have been diagnosed with low-grade slow growing cancer that is looking for active surveillance showed that nearly 80% survival rate. And that patients are almost 19 times more likely to die in 10 years due to reasons other than cancer.

Question about Overtreatment
Many doctors believe that prostate cancer is actually more cures. They concluded this from 40% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer are actually the perfect candidates for watchful waiting. However, the actual statistics show that 90% of men opt for radical treatment. And so these patients should never deal with side effects should they choose not to accept any surgical zahvat.Važna facts with regard to further predicts that it will survive several years without any symptoms.

Still can not blame people who decide to put the operation. Since not everyone would be able to face the day knowing what might be happening in their prostate. In fact, some studies support that a third of men chose the treatment because of their anxiety during watchful waiting. It was simply too difficult for them to deal with it emotionally.

Who are the perfect candidate?
For those patients whose tumors are small and slow growing (ie those with a PSA less than 10, a Gleason score less than 7), watchful waiting may be a better route to take. However, watchful waiting is not for everyone. Mostly high-risk patients such as those with a family history of prostate cancer and those who are African Americans are more likely to develop aggressive forms of cancer in May they would be better off deciding to choose the treatment option of some kind.

What are the risks?
Only the risk involved in the watchful waiting when prostate cancer is misclassified. For example, lab techs did not detect the aggressive cancer cells that had already spread to other regions. This is why you need to work closely with your doctor so you can carefully monitor the situation and reduce this risk.

bright light
In the hope that medical professionals could help patients better decide how to manage their condition, researchers are now actually working on genetic tests that we hope to determine in advance that certain cancers are slow growing or aggressive. However, we must keep our hopes high.

decision on what approach you should take to manage your cancer is something that you need to think carefully. Because basically have to tradeoff side effects of radical treatment against anxiety of living with cancer. So, it's still your choice at the end. What would be easier to live with?