Founder of the renowned Prostate Seed Institute talks about this option.

Irving, TX – Men diagnosed with prostate cancer may be surprised to hear their doctors recommend they take no immediate, invasive action to fight the disease head on. As the potential benefits of a non-treatment form of treatment known as watchful waiting or active surveillance become more widely known, this recommendation is being made more frequently.

Designed to help men who are diagnosed with low-grade, low-risk tumors, watchful waiting provides a way for men to potentially avoid the side effects that may go along with more aggressive treatments. The option, however, does come with some strong caveats that men need to be fully aware of before they choose to go down this path.

“Watchful waiting is only effective and safe if men and their doctors are serious about following through with monitoring,” says Dr. Gregory Echt, founder and lead surgeon at the Prostate Seed Institute. “This is absolutely critical to ensure that any changes in the nature of a tumor are detected as quickly as possible.”

Active surveillance has been deemed a medically viable route to take when low-risk tumors are diagnosed because of their projected slow-growing nature. Since men diagnosed later in life with low-grade tumors are more likely to die from many other causes, clinicians have deemed immediate treatment isn’t 100 percent necessary. Choosing this path can help men avoid the potential side effects that may go along with treatments. Surgery and radiation therapy, for example, may produce concerns related to erectile dysfunction and incontinence, among other concerns.

“Active surveillance can be a wise path to follow, but it’s one that demands vigilance,” Dr. Echt stresses. “If this option is recommended in a personal case, the best advice for the patient is to do some research, ask questions and determine if it personally feels like the right choice.”

About The Prostate Seed Institute
The Prostate Seed Institute is one of the country’s leading pioneers in prostate cancer treatment including prostate seed implementation, a fast and painless procedure that effectively treats prostate cancer in its earliest stages. With a team of oncology experts and a state-of-the-art facility, the Prostate Seed Institute provides prostate cancer patients with the most comprehensive treatment available. To see the Procedure Comparison Chart and learn more about the Prostate Seed InstituteCLICK HERE.