Is it possible to achieve successful active surveillance? Of course. Does this mean your cancer will never progress? Not at all. But in 65-70% of cases, cancer does not progress because the patient was a good candidate for this type of treatment option.

Having prostate cancer does not necessarily mean that you will be treated. If certain cancer types require it, others, on the contrary, deserve to have close monitoring after carrying out a precise diagnosis. This is called active surveillance.

Active surveillance is a way of monitoring prostate cancer that is unlikely to progress. The goal is to avoid unnecessary treatment or to delay treatment and possible side effects. The term active surveillance evokes a notion of inactivity, which is however not the case.

Regular tests

Regular tests will be done about every 3–6 months to monitor your prostate cancer. This can vary depending on your situation.

• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test
• Physical examination, including a digital rectal exam (DRE)
• Prostate biopsy
• Prostate MRI (in some cases)

Treatment if necessary

Although we do not have 100% reliable tools to predict the progression of the disease, the risk of your cancer progressing to a more advanced stage or the loss of a treatment window is extremely rare due to your close medical follow-ups. Your doctor will start treating you when he sees symptoms or signs that your illness is changing. The cure rate remains the same and treatment after active monitoring is not more complicated or does not cause more side effects.

How to increase your chances of success?

Often, active surveillance is a starting point for making major changes in our lifestyle. Putting the odds on your side means going to all your follow-up appointments of course. But if you are overweight, sedentary, eaten rather badly, this is your opportunity to take charge. You can decide to have a daily routine of activities that you enjoy.

One thing is certain, start with what you can, what you find easiest. Reducing food portions, a little? Eating less in the evening? Doing a minimum 30-minute activity every other day? Swimming on Saturday? Cooking a new healthy recipe every day? It is up to you. But start somewhere. No matter where! The important thing is to do it on a regular basis. So, choose to start with what will be easiest to keep in the long run. Then, based on your first results, adjust and increase the pace.

And don’t forget to give yourself a good pat on the back every time you have resisted the temptation to let go of everything…

Take the time to visit each of our pages on this website, as well as our YouTube channel, in order to get familiar with the disease with our expert lectures, our section on available resources, the support that is offered to you.

Do you have any questions or concerns? Above all, do not hesitate. Contact us at 1 855 899-2873 to discuss with a nurse specializing in uro-oncology. It’s simple and free, like all our services.

Written by PROCURE. © All rights reserved – 2020