Count what counts.

Urologists and rad oncs just looooove to spout off the differences in toxicities between surgical versus radiation treatments for prostate cancer. Because it’s all pretty darn effective for favorable disease. But what does the patient have to say about it? This huge prospective cohort study offers up a detailed analysis of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) at 5 years out from a whole host of standard treatment options, including active surveillance. Perhaps most important is that most differences diminished by 5 years. However, a couple of standouts include a clinically meaningful increase in incontinence and poor sexual function following prostatectomy versus active surveillance, external beam radiation or brachytherapy. TBL: Remembering disease-free survival at 5 years for localized prostate cancer approaches 100%, anticipated changes in bladder and sexual function may heavily influence treatment decisions. | Hoffman, JAMA 2020