BOSTON -- When most patients hear they have cancer the first question they ask their doctor is, "What are we going to do?"

But NewsCenter 5's medical editor Dr. Timothy Johnson reported Tuesday that increasingly, with prostate cancer, the answer is a surprising, "Nothing."

Patients Choose To Do Little About Prostate Cancer | Prostate Cancer Screening Recommendations | Prostate Cancer Resources | Interview With Dr. Donald S. Kaufman

"The biopsy results showed that I had prostate cancer," said New York City attorney Burt Rubin, who chose to come to Boston for his treatment. "Being type A, I said, "Let's not talk about doing nothing."

But a year and a half after his diagnosis, Rubin is doing very little to battle prostate cancer.

Doctors call it "active surveillance." Dr. Donald Kaufman, a genitourologist at Massachusetts General Hospital's Cancer Center, said that 25 to 30 percent of prostate cancer patients seen at MGH are now choosing active surveillance instead of surgery or radiation.

Kaufman said he and his colleagues feel comfortable recommending the course, "because we think we have the data to support the no treatment option. Because it doesn't mean no treatment, it means no treatment right now."

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests and physical checks are done every six months during active surveillance. A second biopsy is done after 12 to 18 months. In turn, men may avoid impotence, incontinence and other side effects of more harsh treatments.

"The problem with prostate cancer treatment is that there's no mild treatment. There's just one flavor of treatment and it's highly aggressive," Kaufman said.

Kaufman said the "watch and wait" approach is unique to prostate cancer, which often grows slowly for many years without impacting a man's quality of life. "I do not think it should applied to other cancers."

Rubin remains happy he made this choice. "I feel great and we live a full life. I'm watching my children grow up and I don't intend to see that change."