title: Active surveillance: pitfalls to consider.
abstract: With the pendulum swinging in low risk prostate cancer (PCa) to ideas of overtreatment and overdiagnosis more urologists are looking at Active Surveillance (AS) as a valid option for their low risk PCa patients. AS will undoubtedly hold a place as a management option in men with low risk PCa, however, it is critical to understand its limitations in its current form as highlighted in this article. We conducted a review of multiple computerized databases (Ovid, Medline, Pubmed, CINAHL, Cohrane Library database) with the keywords active surveillance, prostate neoplasm, and low risk PCa. Manual searches were also carried out. Assumptions of AS are discussed and their implications on selecting the appropriate AS candidate. As with any active treatment option offered to patients with PCa, those who are offered AS must be appropriately selected and counseled as to its risks and benefits.
authors: Department of Urology, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, USA. ercole@uthscsa.edu
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Ercole
authors: Dipen J
authors: DJ
authors: Parekh
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D018450:Disease Progression; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D011159:Population Surveillance; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012306:Risk; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen