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Watchful waiting is a way of monitoring prostate cancer that isn't causing any symptoms or problems. The aim is to keep an eye on the cancer over the long term, and avoid treatment unless you get symptoms. 
Active surveillance is a way of monitoring localised (early) prostate cancer, rather than treating it straight away. You might hear it called active monitoring.
If you go on active surveillance, you’ll have regular tests to check on the cancer. You won’t have any treatment unless these tests show that your cancer may be growing, or you decide you want treatment – so you’ll avoid or delay the side effects of treatment. If there are signs your cancer may be growing, you’ll be offered treatment that aims to cure your cancer.It might seem strange not to have treatment, but localised prostate cancer often grows slowly – if at all – and may have a low risk of spreading. So it may never cause you any problems or affect how long you live. Many men on active surveillance will never need treatment.
Active surveillance isn’t the same as watchful waiting, which is a different way of monitoring prostate cancer. Read about the differences between active surveillance and watchful waiting.

Surgery may be a treatment option for men with localised prostate cancer. Information about having surgery to remove the prostate.
Permanent seed brachytherapy involves implanting tiny radioactive seeds into your prostate gland. This is also called low dose rate brachytherapy. Radiation from the seeds destroys cancer cells in the prostate. You may have this treatment on its own or together with external beam radiotherapy or hormone therapy.
HDR brachytherapy involves inserting thin tubes into the prostate gland. A source of radiation is then passed down the tubes into the prostate for a few minutes to destroy cancer cells. The source of radiation is then removed, so no radiation is left in your body. Because the radiation is put directly into the prostate, the healthy tissue nearby gets a smaller dose of radiation. This means healthy tissue is less likely to be damaged than with another type of radiotherapy called external beam radiotherapy.
Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to kill cancer cells, wherever they are in the body.  It won’t get rid of your prostate cancer, but it aims to shrink it and slow down its growth.
Cryotherapy is a treatment that uses extreme cold to freeze and destroy cancer cells. You might also hear it called cryosurgery or cryoablation. Thin needles are put into the prostate and a gas is passed down them to kill the cancer cells.
External beam radiotherapy uses high energy X-ray beams to treat prostate cancer. The radiation beams are shaped as they come out of the linear accelerator and/or before they reach the patient to make sure that they are carefully directed at the cancer.
HIFU uses high-frequency ultrasound energy to heat and destroy cancer cells in the prostate. A beam of ultrasound energy travels into the prostate from a probe put into the back passage (rectum).

This fact sheet is for men who are thinking about having an operation called a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) to treat symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland. You may hear this condition called benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In this fact sheet, we use the term enlarged prostate for both BPE and BPH.

This booklet is for men who want to know more about a condition called an enlarged prostate. You may also hear it called benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It isn’t cancer and it can be treated if it’s causing you problems.

This fact sheet is for men who have prostate cancer or who’ve had treatment for prostate cancer and want to know more about fatigue (extreme tiredness).

This fact sheet is for men who want to know more about how prostate cancer is diagnosed.  Your partner, family or friends might also find it helpful.

We talk about the tests used to diagnose prostate cancer and explain what the results may show.

This fact sheet is for men who want to know more about urinary problems after treatment for prostate cancer. Your partner, family or friends might also find it helpful. We explain how different treatments for prostate cancer may cause urinary problems and describe ways to manage them. We also list other sources of support and information.

This booklet is for men who want to know more about having a blood test called a PSA test. The test can help diagnose prostate problems, including prostate cancer. Your partner, family or friends might also find this information helpful.

This fact sheet is for men with prostate cancer who are thinking about going on holiday in the UK or abroad. It has tips on preparing for your trip, arranging travel insurance and how to look after yourself while you’re away. Your partner or family might also find this helpful.

A lot of this information is common sense but can be easy to forget in the run up to a trip.

This fact sheet is for anyone who has been diagnosed with advanced (metastatic)

prostate cancer – cancer that has spread from the prostate to other parts of the body.

We explain what advanced prostate cancer is, what your test results mean,and the treatments available.

Abiraterone acetate (Zytiga®) is a type of hormone therapy for men with prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (advanced prostate cancer) and has stopped responding to other types of hormone therapy. You may hear it called second-line therapy.
It works by stopping the body producing a hormone called testosterone. But it does this in a different way to other types of hormone therapy.  In most men, prostate cancer cells can’t grow without testosterone, even if they have spread to other parts of the body.
Abiraterone won’t cure your prostate cancer, but it can help keep it under control and has been shown to help some men live longer. It can also help to treat or delay symptoms, such as pain and tiredness.
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