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Prostate Cancer Update on 'Active Surveillance'

February 05, 2007
News Office: Carol Hyman (415) 476-2557

Highlights of the International Conference on Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer will be presented on Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion, 1600 Divisadero St., in Herbst Hall.

Dr. Peter Carroll, co-director of the Urologic Cancer Service and an expert in the treatment of prostate cancer; Sara Knight, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry and urology; and Stan Rosenfeld, a support group leader and patient advocate, will present information from the conference held in January. The session is open to the public and is especially geared for patients and family members as well as support group leaders.

Prostate cancer is the most common form of non-skin cancer in men in the United States and a leading cause of cancer mortality, accounting for more than 29,000 deaths in 2005. However, the natural history of this disease is remarkably variable and some men may be very good candidates for a program of "active surveillance" or "watchful waiting" rather than immediate treatment. The presentation will cover information about how men with early stage prostate cancer might be the best candidates for this approach and the outcomes to date.

UCSF is a leading university that advances health worldwide by conducting advanced biomedical research, educating graduate students in the life sciences and health professions, and providing complex patient care.

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