Assessment form

There are many treatment options for localised prostate cancer making it very difficult to choose which is the best treatment in an individual person. There are many factors which need to be considered when deciding what the ideal therapy is in your individual case. Current options include radical prostatectomy of various forms including nerve sparing, non-nerve sparing, non-nerve sparing with sural nerve graft, robotic surgery, brachytherapy seeds, high dose rate brachytherapy, external beam radiotherapy, HIFU, hormone therapy or active surveillance.

In order to make a meaningful decision about this multitude of options, there are four groups of factors which need to be taken into consideration. With this information available, it is not only possible to recommend a treatment but also to give appropriate cure rates and appropriate side effects in your individual case.

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Your Details

Name*

Address

Email*

Date of Birth

Phone No.*
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1. Tumour Factors

Clinical Stage

PSA level

Free to total PSA ratio

Gleason Score

Position of the cancer

Percentage of biopsies involved

Presence of perineural invasion

Extracapsular invasion documented

All these factors need to be available and it is best to have a copy of your histopathology report and ideally a second opinion from a pathology expert in the area (which we may arrange).

2. Prostate Factors

Size of prostate (grams)

Urinary Symptoms

Obstruction (hesitancy, poor flow and post-void dribbling)

Irritation (frequency, urgency and urge incontince)

Prostatitis (burning, pelvic pain)

Prostate size and symptoms have a large bearing on the choice of therapy.
A simple questionnaire is attached to give what is called the AUA symptom score.

3. Local Factors

 

Previous Surgery

Previous Radiotherapy

Previous pelvic injury

Previous hernia operations

Obesity

4. Patient Factors

A. Sexual

Quality of erections

Current Relationship

Importance of sexual function

Preparedness to use sexual aids

B. Urinary Status

Urinary Symptoms

Fear of incontinence

C. Bowel Status

Previous bowel treatments for disease

Bowel Symptoms

Fear of bowel problems

D. General Healths

Age

Life expectancy

Other health problems

Longevity in family

Medications

Obesity

E. Other Factors

Geographical Location

Family History

5. Staging Tests

Bone Scan

CT Scan

Chest X-ray

Other tests (MRI, ultrasound)

With all this information, it is possible to give an accurate idea of the likely cure rate in your individual case as well as the likely side effects of each treatment in your individual case. It is also possible to make a reasonable recommendation that will have the greatest chance of cure with the least impact on your quality of life. With this information and a formal consultation, a joint decision about therapy can be made.
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