General information, not an individual diagnosis. Ask a healthcare professional if you are unsure about your situation.
For localised prostate cancer without symptoms that meets specific medical criteria, particularly low risk of progression, the team may offer initial active surveillance.
This option defers starting treatment while arranging regular, repeated checks. Its purpose is to monitor the cancer’s course; appointments and tests are not optional.
Surveillance can include a rectal examination, blood tests for PSA and further prostate biopsies. Ask which examinations are planned for you and how often.
Before deciding, ask for an explanation of the benefits and risks of surveillance and of other options offered. The cancer’s characteristics and your personal circumstances matter to the shared decision.
If the cancer worsens during surveillance, treatment may be started in discussion with you. One result alone does not replace the team’s assessment of the whole follow-up.
After a prostate biopsy, fever, inability to pass urine or heavy bleeding require urgent medical advice: contact the urologist or the service that performed the procedure without delay. Outside these situations, keep your results and tell your team about symptoms or questions between checks.
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