Prostate Cancer Research Priority Setting Programme
The Federation are working with the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation and the James Lind Alliance to set the research priorites for patients and clinicians in prostate cancer, with a view to getting a consensus on the top ten ‘Treatment uncertainties’ in prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is unique amongst the major cancers in a number of ways: it is often slow growing and effectively harmless, yet it kills a third of those diagnosed; there is no recognised test that simply establishes the prognosis for a man who may have the disease; treatment options vary considerably depending on the stage of the disease, but also according to the lifestyle preferences of both the man it affects, and his partner; dietary and environmental factors seem to have a profound effect on both the incidence of the disease and its progression. As a result there is considerable controversy amongst clinicians about optimum treatment, indeed whether to treat at all, and, in particular, the advantages or otherwise of testing to promote early detection. Directed research is needed that is aimed at clarifying these issues so that the unacceptable death rate can be reduced.
‘Treatment uncertainties’ occur when there are questions about treatment that cannot be answered by up to date information based on research evidence. For this exercise we interpret ‘treatment’ in its broadest sense, and we include dietary prevention and diagnostic testing. We want as wide a spectrum of patients and clinicians as possible to tell us what they believe are the uncertainties about prostate cancer. So if you believe that answering particular questions will improve the lot of men with prostate cancer, and you think these questions need to be answered by research, this is your chance to make your views known.
The uncertainties which are submitted to the study will be checked to ensure they are true uncertainties, which have not been answered by existing research elsewhere. They will then be combined with uncertainties which have been identified through a review of existing research and literature. These will then be entered into the Database of Uncertainties of the Effects of Treatments (DUETs). They will then go through a process of prioritisation, in which you can also get involved, to identify ten priorities for research which are of the most importance to both patients and clinicians. This list will be published and provided to organisations that fund research.
If you would like to participate in the programme, you can do so by completing a survey. If you wish to complete the survey in manuscript, please download and print the PDF document and post it to Emma Halls, Prostate Cancer Research Foundation, Rm 305, The Blackfriars Foundry, 156 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8EN, Telephone: 020 7953 7192. You may complete the forms electronically, in which case please download the Word version. Please do NOT change any styles or otherwise alter the formatting, or delete any of the preamble (which might result in destroying the formatting.) When completed, please email the form to Emma Halls.
The closing date for submission of uncertainties is 23rd October 2009.
The Prostate Cancer Support Federation is a member of
This page was updated on 30th July 2009
