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Watchful Waiting: Deferring Treatment

Prostate Cancer can grow slowly. Watchful waiting is not the same as doing nothing.

It is often said more men die with prostate cancer than from it.

In some cases, prostate cancer grows so slowly that a man can reach his full life expectancy before the cancer becomes a serious threat.

Depending on the situation, deferring treatment for a while may be the best choice. This is often referred to as watchful waiting, active surveillance, expectant therapy, or sometimes just observation.

Watchful Waiting involves monitoring the situation closely. It is important that patients get frequent PSA testing, repeat biopsies, and are regularly scanned for any signs that the disease is advancing.

This approach can be combined with dietary changes and other efforts to keep the cancer from growing. More information about prevention can be found on our Diet and Living section, and on the Complementary and Alternative Medicine page in this section.

Diet and Living
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

Men can always begin another form of treatment if the cancer shows any signs of becoming a threat.

This method is most often recommended for men in their 70’s and older with non-aggressive localized cancers.