Watchful waiting, also called watch and wait or expectant management, is a medical approach in which time is allowed to pass, with repeated testing to monitor a condition, before intervention or therapy is used. In oncology it is often called active surveillance, particularly for prostate cancer, and is especially useful when diagnostic certainty is limited or the potential harms of immediate treatment may exceed the benefits of acting right away. For prostate cancer specifically, watchful waiting allows monitoring over months or years before pursuing surgery or drug treatment, letting many patients avoid procedures they may never need while physicians use explicit protocols to identify the point at which observation should give way to active treatment.
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Watchful Waiting
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FAQs
How is watchful waiting different from active surveillance?
Watchful waiting waits for symptoms to change; active surveillance acts on changes in test results.
The National Cancer Institute describes both approaches in prostate cancer care. Watchful waiting is closely monitoring a patient's condition without giving any treatment until signs or symptoms appear or change, and treatment is then given to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. Active surveillance is closely following a patient's condition without giving any treatment unless there are changes in test results.
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Source Watchful waiting (Wikipedia)
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Source Watchful waiting (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
Watchful waiting (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchful_waiting, lead section
Watchful waiting (also watch and wait or WAW) is an approach to a medical problem in which time is allowed to pass before medical intervention or therapy is used.
Treats: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Medical uses
Other examples include: the diagnosis and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia depression otitis media inguinal hernia odd behaviors in infants non-symptomatic kidney stones gender dysphoria in children prior to the onset of puberty
Treats: Depression, Medical uses
Other examples include: the diagnosis and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia depression otitis media inguinal hernia odd behaviors in infants non-symptomatic kidney stones gender dysphoria in children prior to the onset of puberty
Treats: Otitis Media, Medical uses
Other examples include: the diagnosis and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia depression otitis media inguinal hernia odd behaviors in infants non-symptomatic kidney stones gender dysphoria in children prior to the onset of puberty
Treats: Inguinal Hernia, Medical uses
Other examples include: the diagnosis and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia depression otitis media inguinal hernia odd behaviors in infants non-symptomatic kidney stones gender dysphoria in children prior to the onset of puberty
Treats: Kidney Stones, Medical uses
Other examples include: the diagnosis and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia depression otitis media inguinal hernia odd behaviors in infants non-symptomatic kidney stones gender dysphoria in children prior to the onset of puberty
Treats: Prostate Cancer, Lead
Related terms include expectant management, active surveillance (especially active surveillance of prostate cancer), and masterly inactivity.
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