However, a degree of uncertainty goes along with radiation treatment. Since the prostate gland and the lymph nodes are not taken out, the doctors can't tell the exact size of the tumor. The cancer could come back many years after radiation treatment. At 10 years after treatment, cure rates are about the same for radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy. However, surgery may give you a better chance of cure over the long term.
Many prostate cancers are small and grow slowly.
Also, some men feel that the side effects of treatment outweigh the benefits. In watchful waiting, you get no treatment, but you see your doctor often. If there's no sign the cancer is growing, you continue to get no treatment. Hormone therapy can be started if the cancer starts to grow. It can be hard to tell if a small tumor is going to grow slowly or quickly.