Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry 2020 Annual Report Released

The Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry Australia and New Zealand have released their 2020 Annual Report where they examine how are we going looking after men with prostate cancer?'

Prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment has changed with recent research and development, and yet despite these advances, remains very complex. New treatments and better tests are vital, but we can also make significant improvements in survival rates and reduce unwanted treatment side effects by just better applying what we already know.

Many men find it difficult to decide between treatment options and need clear advice on things like differences in the side effects they might expect. Some may be living with ongoing side effects that might have been avoided and may experience decision regret. Some men with low-risk disease may be over-treated. At the same time, prostate cancer treatments and investigations are developing rapidly and can affect these outcomes. We can only understand and address these issues with a systematic analysis of clinical practice and outcomes coupled with monitoring over time. 

Unlike some population-based registries that focus on cancer incidence, mortality and survival, the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry - Australia and New Zealand (PCOR-ANZ) collaborates directly with clinicians who are treating this disease. Just as critically we interact directly with patients, systematically asking about the outcomes that matter to them, using valid, reliable, standardised surveys.

PCOR-ANZ benchmarks patient treatment outcomes for clinicians and hospitals across Australia and New Zealand, via `Quality Indicator’ reports distributed twice a year. These reports are aimed at identifying and understanding variation in treatment and outcomes. All hospitals and urologists participating in PCOR-ANZ receive a confidential report which shows how they are performing, in a risk-adjusted manner, against their peers and an agreed set of best practice approaches. Radiation Oncologists look after a minority of men with prostate cancer, but in the second half of this year, radiation oncology reports will, for the first time, become available for them too.  This benchmarking helps identify variations that are important to both patient survival and quality of life and helps to nudge the health system towards making positive changes.

Clinicians can participate by contacting their local registry coordinator. More information can be found on the PCOR-ANZ website.