Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States, after lung cancer. It’s also the second most common cancer in men, after skin cancer. Out of every eight men, one will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. This time, it’s you.
The good news — after all that bad news — is that only one in every 44 men will die of prostate cancer. It’s such a slow-growing cancer that if it’s caught early, you may succumb to other causes at the end of your natural life without ever having to do more than monitor your prostate cancer.
Expert urologist, Alex Lesani, MD, diagnoses and treats prostate cancer. He also performs prostate cancer screenings at our Las Vegas, Nevada, office, so that any cancers are found as soon as possible, at a curable or watchable stage.
What does it mean if you have to “watch and wait” when you have prostate cancer? Here’s what the process involves.
You may bristle when you hear the term “watch and wait” because you want to do something. You want to cut out your cancer. You want to move past it.
However, Dr. Lesani recommends against traumatic interventions, such as surgery, to remove small cancers that are unlikely to grow or cause symptoms. He determines whether you fall into this category by measuring the tumor and analyzing the results of a molecular test of the cancer cells.
If Dr. Lesani determines that your cancer’s unlikely to grow significantly or spread (i.e., metastasize), he either puts you under “active surveillance” or “watch and wait” status. Active surveillance involves more tests and monitoring than watch and wait does.
Watching and waiting is most appropriate if you’re elderly or have other health conditions that would minimize the benefit of active intervention. It’s a strategy that can help you avoid side effects and the trauma of surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.
With watchful waiting, you’re the main observer and monitor. You don’t have to come in for tests and evaluation as often as you would if you were on active surveillance. You let us know if you have symptoms that suggest your tumor is growing, such as:
When you notice symptoms that cause discomfort or impair your quality of life, you may then wish to pursue treatment. If the cancer starts to spread, you may also wish to undergo surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Ultimately, the decision to treat or not treat your prostate cancer is up to you. Although no studies have shown that waiting or surveilling leads to more deaths, you may not feel comfortable having a tumor in your body, no matter how slow it’s growing.
You might also want to come in for tests more often, or switch to active surveillance. If you’re on active surveillance, Dr. Lesani may give you a specific antigen (PSA) blood test about every 6 months and perform a digital rectal exam (DRE) annually. Usually, he performs prostate biopsies, and imaging tests may be done every 1-3 years, too.
If you decide the watching and waiting is over, or if your cancer starts to grow or spread, Dr. Lesani may recommend one of several treatment options. If your cancer is small enough, surgically removing the prostate gland may be sufficient to cure your prostate cancer and prevent possible metastasis.
Cancer that’s spread or might have spread is treated with chemotherapy and radiation. You might also benefit from hormone therapy that shrinks the tumor before surgery.
Is it time for a PSA test for prostate cancer? Contact Dr. Lesani at 702-470-2579 today or book your appointment online.
