Panel recommends close monitoring and delay of treatment for localized, low-risk prostate cancer
May 16, 2017
The state-of-the-science conference was sponsored by the NIH Office of Medical Applications of Research, the National Cancer Institute, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with other NIH and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services components. This conference was conducted under the NIH Consensus Development Program, which convenes conferences to assess the available scientific evidence and develop objective statements on controversial medical issues.
The 14-member state-of-the-science panel included experts in the fields of cancer prevention and control, urology, pathology, epidemiology, genetics, transplantation, bioethics, economics, health services research, shared decision-making, health communication, and community engagement. A complete listing of the panel members and their institutional affiliations is included in the draft conference statement. Additional materials, including panel biographies, photos, and other related resources, are available at consensus.nih/2011/prostatemedia.htm. Interviews with panel members can be arranged by contacting Elizabeth Neilson at 301-496-4999 or NeilsonEod.nih.
The conference was webcast live and will be archived shortly. Links to the archived webcast will be available at consensus.nih/2011/prostate.htm.
Individuals interested in obtaining information about prostate cancer may wish to contact the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) or via email at cancergovstaffmail.nih and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Contact Center at 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) or via email at cdcinfocdc.
In addition to the material presented at the conference by speakers and the comments of conference participants presented during discussion periods, the panel considered pertinent research from the published literature and the results of a systematic review of the literature. The systematic review was prepared through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC) program by The Tufts Medical Center Evidence-based Practice Center. The EPCs develop evidence reports and technology assessments based on rigorous, comprehensive syntheses and analyses of the scientific literature, emphasizing explicit and detailed documentation of methods, rationale, and assumptions. A link to the evidence report on the role of active surveillance in the management of men with localized prostate cancer is available at consensus.nih/2011/prostate.htm.
The panel's statement is an independent report and is not a policy statement of the NIH or the Federal Government. The NIH Consensus Development Program was established in 1977 as a mechanism to judge controversial topics in medicine and public health in an unbiased, impartial manner. NIH has conducted 123 consensus development conferences and 35 state-of-the-science (formerly "technology assessment") conferences, addressing a wide range of issues. A backgrounder on the NIH Consensus Development Program process is available at consensus.nih/backgrounder.htm.
Source: NIH/National Institutes of Health, Office of Disease Prevention