Understand Your Treatment Options
Active Surveillance
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What it is: Careful monitoring of low-risk or very low-risk prostate cancer without immediate treatment. Involves regular PSA tests, digital rectal exams (DRE), and biopsies.
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Who it’s for: Men with small, slow-growing tumors who may never need treatment.
Active surveillance is a management strategy for men with low-risk prostate cancer that involves closely monitoring the cancer without immediate treatment. Most men whose prostate cancers are in the low-risk group will be offered active surveillance since very few of these cancers will spread to distant parts of the body. This approach recognizes that many prostate cancers grow very slowly and may never become life-threatening. Instead of immediately treating the cancer, doctors monitor it regularly through PSA testing every 3-6 months, digital rectal exams annually, repeat biopsies every 1-2 years, and advanced imaging (MRI) as needed. The goal is to delay or avoid treatment-related side effects while ensuring that if the cancer shows signs of becoming more aggressive, treatment can begin promptly.
Find Support
Active Surveillance Patients International (ASPI) is a nonprofit run by and for men on Active Surveillance for prostate cancer.
Prostate Forum of Orange County - that's us!
Join us at our online meetings (2nd and 4th Tuesdays of every month), where you can meet men who've been dealing with prostate cancer for many years.
