Watchful Waiting
An effective way to do this is to
develop a contingency plan for your prostate cancer that contains
trigger points, as indicated below:
Considerable evidence indicates that if your prostate cancer has
been diagnosed as stage A or B and you meet certain other
criteria, such
as age, it may be more beneficial for you to become a
watchful-waiting patient.
Studies in Sweden and Britain show very little difference in the
mortality
rate for men who have undergone radical prostatectomy and those
who accepted
watchful waiting as their approach to their disease. In fact, some
physicians
maintain that prostate cancer patients over the age of 70 stand a
good chance
of dying of something other than the cancer. However, if you and
your doctor
opt for watchful waiting, we strongly recommend that your disease
be monitored
very carefully.
|
|
