Oncology Rounds

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Multidisciplinary teams reduce bias in prostate cancer treatment planning

on August 6, 2012  |  Permalink  | Comments (1)

Topics: Radiation Therapy, Oncology, Service Lines, Surgical Oncology, Prostate Cancer, Tumor Site Strategy

Megan Bailey, Oncology Roundtable

A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that prostate cancer patients seen by multidisciplinary teams are more likely to choose active surveillance than those seen by specialists in one-on-one settings. 

The Massachusetts General Hospital study showed that the rate of men choosing active surveillance over aggressive treatment was nearly double for those seen in multidisciplinary clinics (43% and 22%, respectively). Correspondingly, the number of men treated with radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy decreased by 30%.

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Multidisciplinary teams reduce bias in prostate cancer treatment planning

Brachytherapy more cost-effective than IMRT for prostate cancer patients

on July 26, 2012  |  Permalink

Topics: Oncology, Service Lines, Radiation Therapy, Prostate Cancer, Tumor Site Strategy

Brian Clement, Oncology Roundtable

A recent study from the William Beaumont School of Medicine demonstrates that while IMRT and brachytherapy for low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients have similar outcomes, brachytherapy is substantially less expensive.

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Brachytherapy more cost-effective than IMRT for prostate cancer patients

Debate Continues Over Role of Surgery for Early Stage Prostate Cancer

on May 18, 2011  |  Permalink

Topics: Prostate Cancer, Tumor Site Strategy, Oncology, Service Lines, Surgical Oncology

My colleague Matt Garabrant just wrote this analysis of a new study from NEJM, and I thought it would be of interest.

At first blush, a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine provides slightly contrarian findings about the benefits of using surgery for treatment of early stage prostate cancer in men under 65. There has been a great deal of discussion about the perceived over-treatment of prostate cancer in the US, specifically focusing on the use of surgery and robotic surgery for patients who could potentially be well-served by watchful waiting.

This new study, performed by the University Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden, indicates that there was a significant reduction in the rate of death from prostate cancer in the study group that received radical prostatectomy, as compared to the group that received active surveillance. With other recent studies suggesting questionable benefits of surgery over watchful waiting for management of patients with early stage disease, there is still a lack of consensus on the appropriate way to balance the use of these treatment approaches.

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Debate Continues Over Role of Surgery for Early Stage Prostate Cancer