Active surveillance for prostate cancer: to whom, when and how

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common oncological disease among men. It is important to note that over 50% of the first identified primary malignant neoplasms of prostate are low - risk PCa. Recently, radical prostatectomy and external beam radiation therapy have been the standard treatment options for PCa. According to recent data, patients with low - risk PCa have a favourable prognosis because of the slow progression of the disease. Some studies show no links between 10-year cancer - specific survival and treatment modalities and no progression even in the absence of therapy. Active surveillance (AS) allows avoiding unnecessary treatment in men who do not require immediate intervention but achieves the correct timing for curative treatment in those who eventually need it. According to the guidelines of the European Association of Urology, AS is one of the standard treatment options for low - risk PCa and should be consideredfor all patients in this category. The advantage of AS is to improve the quality of life in men with low - risk PCa and to delay surgical interventions as much as possible. However, despite widespread AS worldwide, there are only a few centres, which use it routinely in Russia. In this review, we would like to shed some light on the most important questions of AS strategy: what criteria should we use for selection of patients for AS strategy? How often should patient visit the urologist, control PSA level, and undergo prostate biopsy? When should a doctor change strategy and turn to active treatment? In this article, we considered indications for AS in men with PCa and showed the most recent data on the efficacy and relevance of this modality.