As a Center of Excellence in cancer treatment, Kaiser Permanente offers state of the art options for the treatment of your cancer. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancer diagnoses in men. It forms in tissues of the prostate, which is a gland in the male reproductive system. It is a very slow growing cancer and can take decades to affect your life, even if untreated.
Active surveillance
If your prostate cancer is considered low risk, you may choose active surveillance as your plan of treatment. For a review of risk, please view the video “Prostate Cancer: Understanding PSA, grade and stage of your cancer, and risk categories” on our website. With active surveillance, curative treatment is withheld for a period of time or even indefinitely. This approach requires close follow up with your urologist, a PSA test approximately every three months, and possibly a second biopsy between years one and two to see if your cancer is growing. The advantage of active surveillance is avoiding the complications associated with curative therapy. If the disease does end up progressing over time, you can choose another treatment option.
At Kaiser Permanente, we are committed to work with you every step of the way to monitor your disease and assist with treatment decisions, if that time comes.
Take some time to review your treatment options in the videos below, to better prepare for your next visit with your physician.
Introduction
Understanding PSA, Grade, Stage, and Risk Categories
Brachytherapy
Open Radical Prostatectomy
External Beam Radiation Therapy
Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery
