Abstract
Prostate cancer is a leading cause of death of men from oncological reasons worldwide. Screening programmes based on a prostate-specific antigen testing brought more questions than answers, resulting in an enormous rise of prostate cancer incidence.
The terms low-risk cancer, overdiagnosis and over-treatment were established. In light of vast epidemiological studies, the watchful-waiting method was implemented into clinical praxis with a postponed palliative treatment in older men.
In contrast, active surveillance is a conservative management warranted rather in younger patients with the possibility of a later radical treatmen. Long lasting randomised studies will probably confirm safety and feasibility of this method.