Watchful Waiting Strategy May Reduce Low-Value Diagnostic Testing

Watchful Waiting

Surgical resection versus watchful waiting in low-grade gliomas

Background Infiltrating low-grade gliomas (LGG; WHO grade 2) typically present with seizures in young adults. LGGs grow continuously and usually transform to higher grade of malignancy, eventually causing progressive disability and premature death. The effect of up-front surgery has been controversial and the impact of molecular biology on the effect of surgery is unknown. We now present long-t...

Comparison of a strategy favoring early surgical resection vs a strategy favoring watchful waiting in low-grade gliomas.

CONTEXT There are no controlled studies on surgical treatment of diffuse low-grade gliomas (LGGs), and management is controversial. OBJECTIVE To examine survival in population-based parallel cohorts of LGGs from 2 Norwegian university hospitals with different surgical treatment strategies. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Both neurosurgical departments are exclusive providers in adjacent geogr...

Watchful waiting for small renal masses.

Small renal masses (SRMs; < 4 cm in diameter) account for most renal tumors treated today. Incidental early detection of SRMs by abdominal imaging results in favorable grade and stage migration to renal cell carcinoma, and also increases detection of benign renal tumors. As a result, most SRMs manifest indolent biological behavior with excellent prognosis. Despite the increased use of minimally...

Active surveillance: not your father's watchful waiting.

Active surveillance is becoming a very reasonable and appropriate “treatment” strategy for men with low-risk localized prostate cancer, as Large and Eggener eloquently describe in this review article. It is important to recognize that active surveillance is not what was once referred to as “watchful waiting,” which I believe many patients interpret as “watching and waiting to die.” As the name ...