Common knowledge about prostate cancer watchful waiting treatment

For some prostate cancer patients, observation and waiting is also a form of treatment. First, closely observe the changes in the disease. When the disease progresses, choose different plans based on individual differences of the patient to achieve the best treatment effect.

1. Patients with organ-confined prostate cancer, tumor volume less than 0.5 ml and no poorly differentiated components are at low risk and can be treated by observation and waiting.

2. Due to factors such as tumor growth and patient age, prostate cancer patients with a short life expectancy can be treated by observation.

3. For patients with clinically localized prostate cancer (T1-3, Nx or N0, Mx or M0) who are suitable for radical treatment, if they choose to wait and see, they must fully understand and accept the risk of local progression and metastasis.

4. If patients with advanced prostate cancer choose to wait for observation and treatment, it is only limited to situations where the risks and complications associated with treatment outweigh the risks of prolonging life and improving quality of life.

5. Patients who choose to wait and observe should be reexamined every 3-6 months. If necessary, the interval between two reexaminations should be shortened. Patients who show progress in DRE, PSA and imaging examinations during reexamination should consider switching to other treatments.

6. For high-risk cancer patients with a long life expectancy and patients with evidence of progression or metastasis while on observation, there is a great risk of adopting observation and waiting treatment, and effective treatment measures should be taken in a timely manner to stabilize the condition.

Special reminder: Patients should fully understand that excessive prostate puncture biopsy during watchful waiting treatment may complicate nerve-sparing surgery or miss the opportunity for radical prostatectomy, and cannot achieve the cure of the tumor.