Active Surveillance and Radical Prostatectomy for Clinically Localized, Low-Risk Prostate Cancer

Mission

ICER's mission is to lead innovation in comparative effectiveness research through methods that integrate considerations of clinical benefit and economic value. Through a unique collaboration with patients, clinicians, manufacturers, insurers and other healthcare stakeholders, ICER develops tools to support patient decisions and medical policy that share the goal of achieving maximum value for every healthcare dollar.

Staff Only

The widespread use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests for prostate cancer screening has resulted in a substantial increase in the numbers of patients diagnosed with early-stage disease who are at low risk for disease progression. In such patients, a reasonable option may be active surveillance, which allows the patient to defer treatment while monitoring for signs of disease progression; once these signs do appear, treatment is then initiated with the intention to cure the patient.

Radical prostatectomy has long been an option for the treatment of prostate cancer. The procedure involves the surgical removal of the prostate gland as well as seminal vesicles and, in some cases, lymph nodes. It is typically performed when the cancer is localized to the prostate. The major approaches include open retropubic radical prostatectomy as well as laparoscopic and robotically-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

The appraisal on active surveillance and radical prostatectomy will complete ICER's evaluation of the family of treatment options for clinically localized, low-risk prostate cancer.

Stakeholder organizations invited to participate: