Active surveillance is the best option for most men with prostate cancer

Active surveillance—where the progress of prostate cancer is regularly monitored—is the best option for most older men.

Just 0.1 percent of men who opted for surveillance died of their cancer within 10 years, says leading oncologist Bruce Montgomery.

Only men in their fifties should consider treating the cancer; by comparison, an 80-year-old who is diagnosed is better to leave it untreated as the radiotherapy or surgery can be life-debilitating, he says.

Despite its prevalence, prostate cancer isn’t a death sentence, says Montgomery, a clinical director at Fred Hutch Cancer Centre and University of Washington Medical Centre.

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