EXPECTANT MANAGEMENT OF LOCALIZED PROSTATE CANCER IN ELDERLY PATIENTS
The problem of optimal management method of localized prostate cancer patients is still disputable. If prostate cancer is detected, the question of tactics is raised at once. There arise several alternatives: refusal to be treated till the symptoms occur (expectant management), radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy (brachytherapy or external therapy). The patient can also resort to hormonal therapy or undergo a surgical castration. Not only patients survival, but their QOL (quality of life) depends on the choice of treatment tactics. Most of the highly differentiated prostate tumors stay latent and do not require any specific treatment. Studies on clinically localized prostate cancer confirm a low rate of progression and cancer mortality in carefully selected patients with lowrisk progression tumor; and only a limited number of patients require radical treatment.