Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Increasingly Goes Untreated
Men diagnosed with low-risk localized prostate cancer are more often monitored than treated, according to large U.S. registry data.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Cancer
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Low-risk prostate cancer has become a smaller share of localized diagnoses in the United States, falling from 28.8 percent to 24.0 percent in SEER data between 2010 and 2023. Men diagnosed with low-risk disease are increasingly receiving neither radiation nor surgery.
Why it matters
The shift suggests that more men with low-risk prostate cancer are being managed without immediate treatment, a pattern consistent with active surveillance, and it matters for decisions about overtreatment and side effects. Fewer low-risk patients are also being radiated, which changes how often men face treatment-related harms.
This retrospective analysis of registry data from three large sources examined 207,196 patients treated with radiation for localized prostate cancer. The declining low-risk share persisted after adjustment, though the study reports trends rather than causes.
The players
University of Michigan
A public research university whose researchers contributed to radiation oncology and cancer outcomes studies.
Steven M. Monda
Lead author affiliated with the University of Michigan, whose work focuses on prostate cancer treatment patterns.
The details
Low-risk prostate cancer was defined as grade group 1, a prostate-specific antigen below 10 ng/mL, and clinical stage T2a or lower. Men with disease in this category often grow slowly, so doctors may choose monitoring over immediate radiation or surgery to avoid treatment side effects. The data show that this approach, sometimes called active surveillance, has become much more common over the study period.
Timeline
2010 to 2023: SEER data period for the localized prostate cancer analysis.
2020 to 2024: Veterans Affairs data period for the analysis.
2021 to 2025: MROQC data period for the analysis.
October 26, 2026: Study published online in the journal Cancer.
Health Landscape
The findings sit within a broader movement toward monitoring low-risk prostate cancer rather than treating it immediately, a change tracked through national registries like SEER. The data show this pattern appearing consistently across federal, veteran, and academic populations.
Men with a prostate cancer diagnosis may want to ask their doctor whether monitoring is a reasonable option for low-risk disease, since many patients now go this route. Discussing the tradeoffs between immediate treatment and surveillance is worth doing with a physician who knows your individual situation.
The takeaway
Low-risk prostate cancer is increasingly managed without immediate radiation or surgery, a shift worth understanding as you weigh treatment options. Ask your physician how active surveillance compares with treatment for your specific risk profile.
Further reading
For broader context on how cancers are tracked and treated, explore our Cancer coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Oncology Nurse Advisor.
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