Active surveillance has been proposed as a management option that reduces the risk of overtreatment in patients diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer. However, up until now, this approach has not been tested in a prospective, randomized fashion. The PROTECT study confirms that patients diagnosed with prostate cancer through prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening are at a very low risk of cancer-related mortality, but patients undergoing active surveillance do have an increased risk of disease progression and metastases compared with those managed with upfront therapy.
