Ireland adopts Cambridge solution to monitor early prostate cancer

Many early prostate cancers do not need immediate treatment and are managed by close surveillance or monitoring. However, there is no standard way on how this surveillance is done.

The Stratified Cancer surveillance programme (STRATCANS), researched, developed and implemented in Cambridge has now been adopted by the National Cancer Control Programme of Ireland, meaning it becomes the country’s national standard for how prostate cancer surveillance should be conducted.

With this, it also becomes the first national cancer guideline globally to recommend a surveillance programme tailored to the individual.

The body is responsible for cancer prevention, screening programmes, allocation of funding for surgical, radiation and medical oncology, and national guidelines, policies, and quality assurance for cancer services.

STRATCANS was developed by Department of Urology at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), and is an online evidence-based stratification programme for men on active surveillance (AS) for early-stage cancer.

AS helps clinicians personalise care, refine use of scans and clinic visits. Importantly, it reduces the burden on NHS and health care resources and reduces the chance of patients having surgery they do not need.

Recently STRATCANS also won recognition from the national charity Prostate Cancer UK as its recommended surveillance programme, and by Health Improvement Scotland – Right Decision Service.

It builds on previous successes in Cambridge in driving change in how early prostate cancer is managed including the NICE: Cambridge Prognostic Groups (adopted by NICE) and Predict Prostate, which in 2019 was endorsed by the health standards body, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

CUH consultant urologist and University of Cambridge Professor, Vincent Gnanapragasam, said: “We are delighted the National Cancer Control Programme of Ireland has adopted the STRATCANS evidence and programme as their Irish national standard in managing men on surveillance for prostate cancer.

“This followed a long and robust evidence-based assessment where they recognised STRATCANS as one of the best evidenced models internationally for personalising active surveillance programmes.

“Active surveillance (AS) is one of the fastest growing modalities in modern prostate cancer management, as recognition grows that many men do not need immediate treatment.

“Up to one in three men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer in CUH and elsewhere are likely to go onto an active surveillance programme. Nationally this is about 20-25,000 men annually. Despite this, there is no national or international standard for how surveillance should be done, and this is left to each unit/hospital to manage.

“The STRATCANS programme builds on our previous innovations in re-defining how early prostate cancer is managed. All our innovations are free for anyone in the world to access and use.”