Has your doctor said that active surveillance,also known as watchful waiting, is a treatment option for you? Many people with early forms of prostate cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, lymphoma, and skin cancer are told they should consider this option. But even if you’ve made the choice to go that route, you may still worry about what’s happening in your body. MSK psychiatrist Andrew Roth offers strategies to help you cope.
- Active surveillance can be a welcome alternative to surgery, chemotherapy, and other more aggressive forms of treatment.
- Some people struggle with the uncertainties and lack of closure with this option, however.
- Our experts offer advice and support to help you cope.
It’s the dreaded diagnosis: cancer. But instead of surgery, radiation, or another invasive treatment, your doctor recommends that you enroll in a program of active surveillance, also known as watchful waiting.
This can be positive news in many ways. With active surveillance, you have the benefit of not having to go through surgery or experience uncomfortable side effects from medicines or radiation therapy. Instead, you agree to a regular schedule of check-ins, scans, or other tests to make sure your cancer isn’t growing or changing over time.
Cancer sometimes grows very slowly or not at all. As doctors learn to better predict whose tumors will get bigger or spread, they’re increasingly recommending active surveillance for patients with certain early forms of prostate cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, lymphoma, and skin cancer.
“Active surveillance is a great choice for a lot of people,” says Memorial Sloan Kettering psychiatrist Andrew Roth. “But it’s not for everyone.” For some people, just knowing there’s something abnormal going on in their body makes them very anxious. “With active surveillance, there’s a burden in knowing that things aren’t neatly tied up and behind you,” he explains. Even if it’s not likely, “you have to face the possibility of needing more invasive treatment down the road.”
He offers these ways to cope:
Leave the Worry to Your Doctor
We live in an information-saturated world, and it’s easy to question and second-guess a doctor’s advice. Some people travel to different doctors for testing and second opinions, for example. Or they spend hours on the internet reexamining their options.
Dr. Roth recommends that once you find a doctor you trust, try to accept his or her conclusion that active surveillance is the best choice for you. “It’s hard,” he explains, “but if you can, let the doctor worry for you.”
Then, he says, focus on what you can control. For example, ask the doctor to explain how your age, general health, and family background contribute to active surveillance being right for you. He or she can also put into perspective any confusing statistics about treatment choices and outcomes.
“The more the doctor can help you understand why active surveillance is a good choice for you as opposed to other treatment options, the more confident you’ll likely feel,” says Dr. Roth.
Don’t Go It Alone
When dealing with cancer, emotional support is crucial. So when it’s time for your regular surveillance checkup, Dr. Roth recommends asking a friend or family member to come along for companionship and comfort.
This person can also take notes — by keeping track of what the doctor says, you’re less likely to get confused or distort the facts later on. Dr. Roth suggests repeating back what you’ve heard before the appointment ends. “Try saying, ‘So what I hear you telling me is….’” This can help with a reality check later on, if you start to question what the doctor actually said.
Reaching out to other people in active surveillance is also a good idea, he adds. Join a support group. Professional counseling can also help, as can meditation, relaxation, yoga, and other activities, all of which are offered through MSK’s Integrative Medicine Service.
Consider Lifestyle Changes
“Being in active surveillance is a great opportunity to start taking better care of yourself,” adds Dr. Roth. Make sure you’re eating well and exercising, “without going bananas.” The feel-good endorphins will help you handle stress better. “And while you’re exercising, you’re at least not focusing on cancer or being in active surveillance,” he adds.
Find Distractions
It’s normal to worry a bit, notes Dr. Roth. You may occasionally feel buyer’s remorse. When this happens, he suggests reminding yourself that if there were a more “right” decision, your doctor would have said so at the start. “Don’t miss enjoying life because you’re worried about what might happen down the road!” he adds.
Discover the power in keeping busy. Distract yourself with whatever works for you — crossword puzzles, cooking, listening to music, anything that keeps your mind occupied.
“And then think about what you’ve gained,” he suggests, like freedom from the side effects and other difficulties that can happen with surgery and other more invasive treatments.
Active surveillance (AS) is increasingly accepted as an initial management strategy in men with low-risk prostate cancer, as evident by inclusion in current guidelines from the AUA, EAU, NCCN, and ESMO. In this report, AS was found to be associated with the development of metastases in 3% of the entire cohort with median follow-up of 6.4 years, with a greater risk (HR, 2.7) in the 22% with initial intermediate-risk disease. This emphasizes the importance of adequate counseling of men with higher-risk disease characteristics as well as the necessity of accurate risk stratification. Contemporary methods may include MRI and fusion biopsy as well as application of genomic tests. It should be noted that the planned surveillance biopsy interval in the study was every 3 to 4 years, and that some men with intermediate-risk disease or some component of Gleason 4 will progress to metastases despite initial definitive treatment. Ultimately, we need to develop and validate novel prognostic biomarkers to reflect true underlying cancer biology and complement clinical stage, Gleason score, and PSA to minimize risks of significant progression and allow timely treatment when indicated.