Prostate cancers have certain features or qualities that allow clinicians to “grade” or classify the cancer as less aggressive or more aggressive - specifically, they are given a label of risk. There are five different risk groups: very low, low, intermediate, high, and very high. Patients with prostate cancers that are very low and low risk, and in some cases intermediate risk, are usually recommended active surveillance [1].
What is active surveillance?
Many prostate cancers tend to be slow-growing, but they can be diagnosed very quickly with the use of laboratory tests and procedures. Unfortunately, what can happen with a quick diagnosis of a slower-growing cancer is a tendency to over-treat patients. Research has suggested that the outcomes of immediately treating very low to low risk prostate cancer patients are similar to implementing an active surveillance approach; also, treating prostate cancers earlier than necessary can lead to unwanted negative side effects, such as urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction [2]. Therefore, in an effort to avoid over-treatment, active surveillance has been recommended as the first line for patients with very low and low risk prostate cancer.
Active surveillance involves regular monitoring for cancer progression, through regular testing procedures and visits with an oncologist. When there is a sign of progression is usually when various treatments are implemented. For some individuals, this can be anywhere from months to years [3].
So what can I do during active surveillance?
Understandably, it can be overwhelming and stressful for patients to be given the recommendation of active surveillance; patients often feel anxious about waiting for disease progression or delaying treatment.
During active surveillance, there are many ways to support your health, and naturopathic medicine can help by:
Optimizing physical activity levels for improving health and fitness
Taking a close look at your diet, ensuring you meet optimal nutritional requirements and individualizing dietary recommendations to meet your health goals and reduce risk factors for cancer
Analyzing environmental risk factors and making recommendations to decrease or eliminate various environmental toxins that can increase risk for cancer
Using targeted laboratory testing to identify levels of important nutrients, as well as assessing levels of inflammation, assessing immune function and cardiovascular health
Optimizing lifestyle factors and reducing stress levels
Remember, don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor or oncologist about the pros and cons of active surveillance and what is the best treatment option for you.
If you are wondering about how naturopathic medicine can help you, call us at 306-664-2150!
References:
[1] Kang, D.-W., Fairey, A. S., Boulé, N. G., Field, C. J., Wharton, S. A., & Courneya, K. S. (2021). Effects of Exercise on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Biochemical Progression in Men With Localized Prostate Cancer Under Active Surveillance: The ERASE Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncology, 7(10), 1487. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.3067
[2] Romero-Otero, J., García-Gómez, B., Duarte-Ojeda, J. M., Rodríguez-Antolín, A., Vilaseca, A., Carlsson, S. V., & Touijer, K. A. (2016). Active surveillance for prostate cancer. International Journal of Urology: Official Journal of the Japanese Urological Association, 23(3), 211–218. https://doi.org/10.1111/iju.13016
[3] National Comprehensive Cancer Network. (2021). Prostate cancer (version 1.2022). Retrieved from https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/prostate.pdf.