Watchful waiting
Watchful waiting describes a palliative management option with the main goal to maintain/improve quality of life, to control of complications as well as to minimize adverse treatment-related effects.
Usage
Watchful waiting is usually considered in elderly patients with tumors or otherwise limited life expectancy. Follow-up is patient specific with no predefined assessment or protocol .
Watchful waiting is applied in the following diseases :
- prostate cancer
- in patients with localized prostate cancer, who do not wish to have curative treatment or no suitable curative treatment option available
- management options are not predefined and settled on an individual basis
- includes the deferred use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT)
- urolithiasis
- depression
- anxiety disorders
- inguinal hernias
See also
