Watchful waiting, also known as watch and wait, describes a palliative management option with the main goal to maintain/improve quality of life, to control complications as well as 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 1,2.
Watchful waiting is applied in the following diseases 1-5:
-
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
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