- With Mayo Clinic medical oncologist
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
"As a practicing medical oncologist, I meet with patients and families every day to help manage their course through this disease called cancer. This experience provides unique insight into the needs of cancer patients, their families and loved ones and brings into sharp focus the need for reliable information to be readily available in terms that can be easily understood." — Dr. Timothy Moynihan
Dr. Timothy Moynihan believes that providing consumers accurate, timely information on the broad, complex topic of cancer is the biggest challenge facing medical Web sites. As the guiding force behind our cancer coverage, he makes sure Mayo Clinic meets the test.
Dr. Moynihan, born in Las Vegas, N.M., but raised in Denver, is a consultant in medical oncology at Mayo Clinic and an associate professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hospice and palliative care medicine. He did his medical oncology training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and then went on to the University of Minnesota and St. Paul Regions Medical Center in St. Paul, Minn., for seven years before moving to Mayo Clinic in 1999. Dr. Moynihan is director of the palliative care program at Mayo Clinic and associate medical director of the Mayo Clinic hospice.
Dr. Moynihan currently serves as the education chair for the Department of Medical Oncology and fellowship program director. Four times he has been selected as Teacher of the Year in medical oncology and elected to the Teacher of the Year Hall of Fame. Past honors include distinguished clinical teacher at the University of Minnesota Medical School, best internist at the Medical College of Wisconsin and recipient of The Upjohn Achievement Award for Excellence in Medicine. He serves on several national committees for the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
"The Internet provides a ready source of information on a wide range of topics of interest to those affected by cancer," Dr. Moynihan says. "The difficulty is trying to decide which sites provide reputable information and which information is relevant to each individual patient. The long history and tradition of excellence associated with Mayo Clinic assures you that information provided will be reliable, up-to-date and comprehensive."
Risk factors (2)
- Flaxseed: Does it affect risk of prostate cancer?
- Vasectomy: Does it increase my risk of prostate cancer?
Tests and diagnosis (2)
- Prostate cancer: Does PSA level affect prognosis?
- Watchful waiting and prostate cancer: What does it mean?
Complications (1)
- Prostate cancer: Can it spread to the pancreas?
Treatments and drugs (3)
- Prostate cancer brachytherapy: Can I pass radiation to others?
- Prostate cancer treatment: Is prostatectomy possible if brachytherapy fails?
- Ginger for chemotherapy-induced nausea: Does it work?
Alternative medicine (1)
- Pomegranate juice: A cure for prostate cancer?
Prevention (2)
- Prostate cancer vaccine: Is it available?
- Frequent sex: Does it protect against prostate cancer?
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Watchful waiting and prostate cancer: What does it mean?
My father has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and his doctor is advising "watchful waiting." What is watchful waiting, and does it mean my father isn't going to get treatment?
Answer
from Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
Watchful waiting is an approach used for some men with prostate cancer, particularly if they have a less aggressive form of cancer as indicated by a lower Gleason score. In such cases, the cancer may be relatively slow growing (indolent). Hence, it may be reasonable to watch and see what happens to the cancer before engaging in active treatment. That's because sometimes the cancer may not grow very fast, and it's less harmful to the individual if he's monitored until there's a clearer indication of whether the cancer is progressing. Monitoring may include regular blood tests and digital rectal examinations. During watchful waiting, no medical treatment is provided — meaning medications, radiation and surgery aren't used.
In many situations, watchful waiting with prostate cancer is a very safe thing to do, although some people are reluctant not do something about their cancer. However, it's possible that the cancer may never bother them in their lifetime, depending on their overall health, their age and other health conditions. So sometimes just watching for a period of time makes a lot of sense. And a person can switch from watchful waiting to active treatment at any time during the process.
Next questionProstate cancer: Can it spread to the pancreas?
- Klotz L, et al. Active surveillance of men with early prostate cancer. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 13, 2009.
- Kupelian P, et al. Overview of treatment for early prostate cancer. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 13, 2009.
- Moynihan TJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 1, 2009.
