Dr. Klein on Challenges With Active Surveillance in Prostate Cancer

Eric A. Klein, MD, chairman of the Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute and staff member in the Taussig Cancer Institute at Cleveland Clinic, discusses challenges with active surveillance in prostate cancer.

When looking at a study conducted at John Hopkins, one of the leaders in recommending active surveillance to patients a few decades ago, investigators followed a group of 1000 patients for a total of 15 years. Notably, the patients did very well and very few deaths were reported, Klein adds.

However, patients had to get a biopsy every year, for all 15 years. Biopsies are not easy for patients, Klein explains. Moreover, several risks are associated with biopsies such as bacteremia and sepsis, and in the past, even occasional deaths have been reported, Klein concludes.