Minimally invasive prostate cancer treatments underused in US and
Europe
4 July 2008
A survey by Millennium Research Group (MRG) of over 140 US and
European based urologists during the recent 2008 American Urological
Association (AUA) Annual Meeting suggests that several minimally
invasive prostate cancer treatment options are underused in both the US
and Europe.
Results of this study are analyzed in the US and European Urologist
Survey: Prostate Cancer Treatment Trends 2008 report.
US urologists indicated that cryosurgery was underused, while
European urologists felt that both cryosurgery and high-intensity
focused ultrasound (HIFU) were underused. In both regions, insufficient
data supporting the treatments and the need to refer patients to another
specialist were considered the leading barriers to adoption.
"These barriers will need to be addressed before utilization rates
can increase notably," says Barbara Prud'homme, Senior Analyst at
Millennium Research Group. "Expensive equipment, poor results with early
cryosurgery equipment, and physician familiarity with traditional
treatments such as radical prostatectomy, have deterred many from
performing these minimally invasive procedures.
"Moreover, many urologists see cryosurgery as a salvage operation
after other treatments haven't worked. One positive sign for the
adoption of these treatments is that US and European urologists
indicated that their use of these treatments had increased over the past
year."
Although urologists were underusing new minimally invasive
treatments, they were aware of emerging treatment options, including
gene therapy and autoimmune therapy. Urologists believed emerging
treatments would eventually improve patient outcomes.
MRG's US and European Urologist Survey: Prostate Cancer Treatment
Trends 2008 report examines urologists' opinions on some of the
industry's most discussed technologies, including permanent implant
brachytherapy, high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, cryotherapy, and HIFU.