Authors' objectives: To comprehensively update a 2008 systematic review on treatments for cancer confined to the prostate gland, which is the definition of clinically localized disease.

Authors' recommendations: This systematic review update found that the evidence for most treatment comparisons is largely inadequate to determine comparative risks and benefits of therapies for clinically localized prostate cancer. This conclusion is similar to that of the 2008 review, which found that no single therapy can be considered the preferred treatment for localized prostate cancer because of limitations in the body of evidence as well as the likely tradeoffs a patient must make between estimated treatment effectiveness, necessity, and adverse effects. Although limited evidence appears to favor surgery over WW or external beam radiotherapy, or favors 3DCRT plus ADT over 3D-CRT alone, the patients most likely to benefit and the applicability of these study findings to contemporary patients and practice remain uncertain. More RCTs and better designed observational studies that can control for many of the known and unknown confounding factors that can affect long-term outcomes are needed to evaluate comparative risks and benefits of therapies for clinically localized prostate cancer.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2014

URL for published report: http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/ehc/products/521/2023/prostate-cancer-therapies-update-report-141216.pdf

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: United States

Organisation Name: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Contact Address: Center for Outcomes and Evidence Technology Assessment Program, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. Tel: +1 301 427 1610; Fax: +1 301 427 1639;

Contact Name: martin.erlichman@ahrq.hhs.gov

Contact Email: martin.erlichman@ahrq.hhs.gov

Copyright: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)