Prostate cancer report card aims to improve patients’ understanding of treatment options

A group of South Australian cancer researchers and specialists has developed the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Report Card, a resource designed to improve patients’ understanding of their diagnosis/treatment and enhance shared decision making.¹

The Report Card is based on real-world results from 8513 men from South Australia who received a diagnosis of localized prostate cancer from 2008 to 2018.² The data were collected through a registry that is part of the South Australian Prostate Cancer Clinical Outcomes Collaborative.

The Report Card offers in-depth information on survival rates, recurrence, treatments, and side effects, such as issues with urinary, bowel, and sexual dysfunction.¹

“There are various treatment options available for men diagnosed with prostate cancer, each of which can have significant side effects on men’s physical functioning. Patient preferences play a significant role in determining treatment choices, but often the available information is complex and overwhelming,” Tenaw Tiruye, PhD, University of South Australia, stated in a news release.¹

“Patients need access to reliable, comprehensive, simple, and up-to-date information about the potential risks and benefits of each treatment to reduce any unrealistic expectations about treatment outcomes and possible regret over their decisions. Providing easy-to-understand, accessible information in a single consumer-oriented report will help men better understand the treatment options and shared decision making between patients and clinicians. A consumer-focused approach to all aspects of prostate cancer care is essential,” added Tiruye.

The team that created the Report Card was led by Kerri Beckmann, PhD, a cancer epidemiologist who specializes in early cancer detection, including prostate cancer. Beckmann and her colleagues consulted with a consumer advisory group and used interviews with prostate cancer patients, a survey among the general public, and feedback from clinicians to develop the Report Card.

Regarding data, the Report Card is based on real-world results from 8513 men from South Australia who received a diagnosis of localized prostate cancer from 2008 to 2018.² The data were collected through a registry that is part of the South Australian Prostate Cancer Clinical Outcomes Collaborative (SA-PCCOC).

"This long-standing registry monitors how well people in South Australia fair after a diagnosis of prostate cancer," Michael O'Callaghan, PhD, an author on the study supporting the Report Card, stated in a news release.¹ O'Callaghan is an associate professor at Flinders University in Australia.

In the conclusion of their research paper that supported the Report Card, Beckmann et al underscored a critical value of the resource. “The more informed the patients are, the more likely they are to participate in decision making. Shared decision making is relevant to prostate cancer treatment because of a complex treatment decision where patients express regret about treatment impacts on their physical functioning. Patient engagement in decisions reduces decisional regret and fosters patient satisfaction with treatment outcomes.”²

The Prostate Cancer Outcomes Report Card was funded by The Hospital Research Foundation Group.

References

1. New Prostate Cancer Report Card keeps treatment options simple to understand. Published online February 5, 2024. Accessed February 6, 2024. https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2024/new-prostate-cancer-report-card-keeps-treatment-options-simple-to-understand

2. Tiruye T,Ettridge K,O’Callaghan M, Moretti K, Jay A, Higgs B, Santoro K, Kichenadasse G, Roder D, and Beckmann, K. Reporting Real-World Data on Prostate Cancer Treatment Outcomes to Consumers: The Prostate Cancer Report Card. Eur J Cancer Care. 2023. doi: 10.1155/2023/6660371