Prostate Cancer, Advanced Or Metastatic: When To Call A Doctor
Content provided by Healthwise
When To Call a Doctor
Call your doctor immediately if you:
- Are completely unable to urinate.
- Have painful urination and a fever higher than
, chills, or body aches. - Have blood or pus in your urine or semen.
Call your doctor to schedule an appointment if you have unexplained:
- Weight loss.
- Dull, aching pain in your lower back, pelvis, or hips.
- Swollen lymph nodes in the groin area. These nodes are usually not tender.
Watchful Waiting
Watchful waiting means that you are not receiving treatment but you and your doctor will watch your cancer to see if your symptoms go away on their own or get worse. Watchful waiting may not be a choice when prostate cancer has spread. But some men who have metastatic prostate cancer may choose watchful waiting if their PSAlevels are rising slowly.
If you choose watchful waiting, you will still need to see your doctor regularly for digital rectal exams and PSA tests.
Who To See
Doctors who can treat locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer include:
To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.
| Last updated: | July 01, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Bets Davis, MFA |
| Reviewed By: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine, Christopher G. Wood, MD, FACS - Urology/Oncology |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC |
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