Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDecision Not to TreatDisease ProgressionWhere Cancer Spreads
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Decision Not to Treat
Disease Progression
Where Cancer Spreads
Untreatedprostate cancercan spread to other parts of the body. If you choose not to treat prostate cancer, which is your right, your healthcare provider will still monitor your disease and may offer treatments to help ease symptoms.
This article goes over the decision not to treat prostate cancer and what to expect if you choose to go this route.
The Decision Not to Treat Prostate Cancer
Decisions about prostate cancer treatment are based on your needs and preferences. There is no “right choice” for every person. Many factor in the opinions of both their healthcare team members and loved ones. But ultimately, the choice is yours.
Once your provider has taken a biopsy and looked at the sample of your tumor under a microscope, they’ll have important information that will help them make their recommendation about what to do next.
Some choose to start treatment soon after diagnosis. Others may opt for active surveillance, which only involves monitoring the cancer.
Active Surveillance
Choosing to watch prostate cancer instead of treating it right away is common when the cancer is:
In active surveillance for prostate cancer, the decision fortreatmentwill be based on a combination of imaging, biomarkers (measurable indicators), and biopsy results.
Watchful Waiting
Watchful waiting is an alternative for people to avoid treatment unless the person notes symptoms.
Declining Treatment
Other people choose not to have cancer treatment at all. They may make this decision because they:
In these cases, they may feel that the risks or side effects of cancer treatments like surgery and radiation outweigh the potential benefits.
If you decide not to have cancer treatment, your provider may talk to you about treatments for any symptoms you’re having.Palliative care and hospice caremight be options, depending on your life expectancy and needs.
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What Happens If I Don’t Treat Prostate Cancer?
Cancer is easiest to treat when it is just in the prostate. At this early stage,surgery and radiationare most likely to completely kill or remove any cancer cells that are there and cure the disease.
Prostate cancer is often found while the cancer is still only in the prostate and has not spread to other parts of the body.This is called “local disease” or “localized disease.”
If you decide not to treat prostate cancer, your provider may talk to you about the typical progression of the disease when it goes untreated. This timeline is sometimes called a disease’s “natural history” and it walks you through thevarious stages of prostate cancer.
Where Prostate Cancer Spreads
Cancer can also spread down the blood vessels, lymphatic channels, or nerves that go in and out of the prostate. Cancer cells can enter the blood vessels and lymphatic channels. Once prostate cancer has gotten inside these vessels, the cells can “seed” in almost any part of the body.
Prostate cancer is known for spreading to the bones, especially the lower spine, pelvis, and femur.Prostate cancer can also spread to the liver, brain, or lungs, though that is less common.
Summary
Untreated prostate cancer can grow and spread to other parts of the body. If you have prostate cancer and choose not to have treatment, your provider will still keep an eye on your health and may offer you treatments for your cancer symptoms to help you be more comfortable.
Prostate Cancer Healthcare Provider Discussion GuideGet our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.Download PDFEmail AddressSign UpThank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.There was an error. Please try again.
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7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Liu JL, Patel HD, Haney NM, Epstein JI, Partin AW.Advances in the selection of patients with prostate cancer for active surveillance.Nat Rev Urol. 2021;18(4):197-208. doi:10.1038/s41585-021-00432-wSinghal U, Tosoian JJ, Qi J, et al.Overtreatment and underutilization of watchful waiting in men with limited life expectancy: an analysis of the Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative Registry.Urology. 2020;145:190-196. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2020.07.047American Cancer Society.How is prostate cancer treated?.Prostate Cancer Foundation.Palliative care for advanced prostate cancer.National Cancer Institute.Cancer stat facts: prostate cancer.Prostate Cancer Foundation.Prostate cancer staging.Wong SK, Mohamad NV, Giaze TR, Chin KY, Mohamed N, Ima-Nirwana S.Prostate cancer and bone metastases: The underlying mechanisms.Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(10):2587. Published 2019 May 27. doi:10.3390/ijms20102587
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Liu JL, Patel HD, Haney NM, Epstein JI, Partin AW.Advances in the selection of patients with prostate cancer for active surveillance.Nat Rev Urol. 2021;18(4):197-208. doi:10.1038/s41585-021-00432-wSinghal U, Tosoian JJ, Qi J, et al.Overtreatment and underutilization of watchful waiting in men with limited life expectancy: an analysis of the Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative Registry.Urology. 2020;145:190-196. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2020.07.047American Cancer Society.How is prostate cancer treated?.Prostate Cancer Foundation.Palliative care for advanced prostate cancer.National Cancer Institute.Cancer stat facts: prostate cancer.Prostate Cancer Foundation.Prostate cancer staging.Wong SK, Mohamad NV, Giaze TR, Chin KY, Mohamed N, Ima-Nirwana S.Prostate cancer and bone metastases: The underlying mechanisms.Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(10):2587. Published 2019 May 27. doi:10.3390/ijms20102587
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Liu JL, Patel HD, Haney NM, Epstein JI, Partin AW.Advances in the selection of patients with prostate cancer for active surveillance.Nat Rev Urol. 2021;18(4):197-208. doi:10.1038/s41585-021-00432-wSinghal U, Tosoian JJ, Qi J, et al.Overtreatment and underutilization of watchful waiting in men with limited life expectancy: an analysis of the Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative Registry.Urology. 2020;145:190-196. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2020.07.047American Cancer Society.How is prostate cancer treated?.Prostate Cancer Foundation.Palliative care for advanced prostate cancer.National Cancer Institute.Cancer stat facts: prostate cancer.Prostate Cancer Foundation.Prostate cancer staging.Wong SK, Mohamad NV, Giaze TR, Chin KY, Mohamed N, Ima-Nirwana S.Prostate cancer and bone metastases: The underlying mechanisms.Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(10):2587. Published 2019 May 27. doi:10.3390/ijms20102587
Liu JL, Patel HD, Haney NM, Epstein JI, Partin AW.Advances in the selection of patients with prostate cancer for active surveillance.Nat Rev Urol. 2021;18(4):197-208. doi:10.1038/s41585-021-00432-w
Singhal U, Tosoian JJ, Qi J, et al.Overtreatment and underutilization of watchful waiting in men with limited life expectancy: an analysis of the Michigan Urological Surgery Improvement Collaborative Registry.Urology. 2020;145:190-196. doi:10.1016/j.urology.2020.07.047
American Cancer Society.How is prostate cancer treated?.
Prostate Cancer Foundation.Palliative care for advanced prostate cancer.
National Cancer Institute.Cancer stat facts: prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer Foundation.Prostate cancer staging.
Wong SK, Mohamad NV, Giaze TR, Chin KY, Mohamed N, Ima-Nirwana S.Prostate cancer and bone metastases: The underlying mechanisms.Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(10):2587. Published 2019 May 27. doi:10.3390/ijms20102587
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