Active Monitoring (Wait & Watch)
Not all blood cancers or related conditions need immediate treatment. In some cases, doctors recommend a "wait and watch" approach, also known as active monitoring. This strategy involves regular check-ups and tests to track the disease, while avoiding treatment side effects until therapy becomes necessary.
When It’s Used
- Chronic conditions like Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) or certain indolent lymphomas.
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) or Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN) with stable counts.
- Patients without symptoms or major complications.
- When early treatment does not improve long-term survival.
What It Involves
- Regular blood tests to track counts and disease markers.
- Periodic scans or bone marrow tests if needed.
- Monitoring for new or worsening symptoms.
- Scheduled doctor visits for physical examinations.
Benefits
- Avoids unnecessary side effects from early treatment.
- Maintains quality of life while disease is stable.
- Ensures treatment is started only when truly needed.
- Provides peace of mind with close medical supervision.
When Treatment Begins
- If symptoms develop such as fatigue, infections, or bleeding.
- Significant changes in blood counts.
- Disease progression on scans or bone marrow tests.
- Other complications that require medical intervention.