EAU guidelines on prostate cancer

Objectives: To develop clinical guidelines for the management of patients w ith prostate cancer. Methods: Guidelines were compiled by a working panel based on current liter ature following a literature review using MEDLINE. Already published struct ured analysis from national and international guidelines was used, and pane l consensus was employed when literature evidence was absent or of poor qua lity. Results: The full text of the guidelines is available through the EAU Centr al Office and the EAU website (www.uroweb.org). This article summarizes the main conclusions from the guidelines concerning the diagnosis and staging, treatment and follow-up of patients with prostate cancer. The diagnosis of prostate cancer should be based on histopathological or cytological examin ations. N- and M-staging may be omitted in selected patients with a low ser um prostate-specific antigen due to low risk of metastasis. Active treatmen t is warranted in most stages of prostate cancer but active monitoring is r ecommended for elderly patients with early stage tumours and is still optio nal in some other situations. Follow-up is based on a disease-specific hist ory, serum-prostate-specific antigen supplemented by a digital rectal exami nation. Routine imaging is not necessary in asymptomatic patients. Conclusions: Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men. These guidelines have been drawn up to provide support in the management o f this large group of patients. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.