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Prostate Cancer Quality Measures

Prostate cancer accounts for about one in four newly diagnosed cancer each year among men in the United States. Over 3,500 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the state of Minnesota each year. Although prostate cancer tends to grow and develop very slowly in the vast majority of men, it can become aggressive and it is important to have the latest treatment options available.

The information used to analyze the patterns and quality of prostate cancer care is from the St. Cloud Hospital Cancer Registry. The registry collects detailed information about prostate cancer patients that are diagnosed and/or treated at St. Cloud Hospital, the Coborn Cancer Center or had radiation at CentraCare Radiation Oncology in Alexandria, Minn. Statistics from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) were used to establish comparison benchmarks for evaluating quality prostate cancer care. The NCDB, a joint program of the Commission on Cancer (CoC) and the American Cancer Society, is a nationwide oncology outcomes database for more than 1,500 CoC approved cancer programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The professionals providing prostate cancer care in St. Cloud are committed to maintaining information about outcomes for patients treated in our cancer program.

The following measures are used to evaluate prostate cancer care at St. Cloud Hospital:

Stage at Diagnosis

Measure: American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Stage at Diagnosis

Rationale: Men diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer have an excellent chance of long-term survival. Staging along with Gleason score (a score given to prostate cancer based on its microscopic appearance) and PSA (prostate specific antigen a protein produced by the prostate gland) level allows the physician to assess the risk level of the cancer and provide appropriate treatment options. It is important for a man with prostate cancer to be actively involved with his doctor in the decision making regarding which treatment is best.

Population: Men diagnosed and/or treated for prostate cancer at St. Cloud Hospital from 2010 through 2011 are included in this measure. There were 489 prostate cancer cases reported by St. Cloud Hospital Registry for this time period.

Data Results: This graph compares the stage at diagnosis for St. Cloud Hospital prostate cancer patients to state and national statistics from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB).

Outcome: St. Cloud Hospital prostate cancer stage at diagnosis compares favorably to data submitted to the National Cancer Data Base by hospitals in Minnesota and the nation. The majority of cases is diagnosed at an early stage and indicates aggressive screening by managing physicians in our community.

Quality Graph Prostate Cancer Cases by Stage

Treatment Options

Men have several treatment options available to them and should participate in treatment decisions along with their health care providers. Treatment recommendations vary by disease severity and life expectancy since the side effects of treatment may outweigh the potential benefits for men whose cancer is unlikely to progress in their lifetime. Because there are many ways to treat prostate cancer, the best prostate cancer treatment depends upon a man’s age and general health, the stage and grade of his prostate cancer, and his personal decision. Sometimes a combination of treatments is used. A comprehensive prostate cancer program will offer a wide variety of treatment choices.

The most advanced prostate treatment options are available at St. Cloud Hospital, the Coborn Cancer Center, and CentraCare Clinic - Adult & Pediatric Urology.