Active Surveillance Delivers Hope for Prostate Cancer Patients

Men who receive a positive diagnosis of prostate cancer often find themselves taken aback when their healthcare providers recommend taking an active surveillance approach. After all, this treatment course calls for defying what most people think and believe about cancer. The common thought is that it is always deadly if left unchecked, so immediate attention is required to save a life. When it comes to prostate cancer, however, sometimes less is more in the treatment department.

Active surveillance is the recommended course of action when prostate cancer detected happens to be low-risk and low-grade. The treatments for the disease itself may not be required because it’s unlikely that a man will see the cancer take a deadly turn during the course of a normal lifetime. This monitoring approach can spare men from the complications that often arise with treatment while helping them enjoy a relatively normal life, even if cancer happens to be present.

While active surveillance is commonly prescribed when indicated, men who choose this path do need to be aware of a few important details:

• It’s no guarantee – Even low-risk cancer can sometimes develop more rapidly than doctors anticipate. This course of treatment is no guarantee that eventual interventions won’t be needed.

• Monitoring is a must – To prevent incurable advances in the disease, it’s critical for men to go in for prescribed routine screenings. This is the only way for a doctor to tell if the disease is holding as anticipated or has happened to spread.

• Support may be required – Living with cancer and not taking action can be a difficult ask of anyone. Those who choose surveillance should consider seeking out support.

Prostate cancer strikes an estimated 220,800 American men each and every year. For many, the news is bad tempered with a little good. Active surveillance can spare men the difficulties associated with treatment, but it’s not necessarily the easy way out. Men who are diagnosed with the disease are urged to discuss all options carefully with their healthcare providers.

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North Texas Cancer Center at Wise, a division of Choice Cancer Care, is now operating as the Cancer Center at Wise Regional and is one of the most renowned cancer treatment centers in Texas.

North Texas Cancer Center at Wise, a division of Choice Cancer Care, is now operating as the Cancer Center at Wise Regional and is one of the most renowned cancer treatment centers in Texas.