Prostate Cancer Treatment

Active Surveillance

Sometimes prostate cancer grows so slowly that it may never cause problems in your lifetime. In these cases, rather than treating straight away, we can watch it closely and only act if it starts to progress.

How It Works

Active surveillance involves regular PSA blood tests, repeat scans or biopsies, and treatment only if the cancer shows signs of progressing. For many men on this pathway, there's a reasonable expectation that treatment may never be needed at all.

Why Not Treat Every Prostate Cancer?

Many men - especially from their 60s onwards - have small, slow-growing prostate cancers that never go on to cause harm. Roughly half of men in their 60s, and almost all men in their 90s, have these. The aim is to find the cancers that could genuinely affect your health, while avoiding unnecessary worry and treatment for the ones that won't.

Advantages

Active surveillance avoids unnecessary treatment and its side effects - your quality of life stays unchanged, with no recovery from surgery or radiotherapy needed.

Things to Weigh Up

You'll still need regular tests and possibly repeat biopsies. There's a small risk the cancer could grow or spread between check-ups, and in rare cases the best time for a cure could be missed. Some men also find it stressful living with untreated cancer, even a low-risk one - that's a normal reaction, and worth discussing openly if it's how you feel.

Bottom Line

There's no single "best" treatment for every man. Active surveillance is about finding the approach that balances long-term cancer control with the quality of life that matters most to you - something we'll work through together based on your specific risk profile.