Prostate cancer guideline for Chinese patients

The first clinical guideline on the diagnosis and treatment for Chinese patients with prostate cancer was released at the 10th Genitourinary Oncology Symposium in Shanghai on Friday.

Based on research into Chinese patients, it offers a standard for multidisciplinary treatment in domestic hospitals. Previously, guidelines were usually based on research from Western countries.

Led by Dr Ye Dingwei from Shanghai Cancer Center, over 80 China’s leading urinary tumor experts participated in writing the guideline, combining international standards with Chinese research for a more precise and accurate treatment plan.

Prostate cancer is the top reproductive system cancer in Chinese men. There are more patients at a terminal stage and higher mortality among Chinese than Western patients because of a poor prevalence of early screening and special genome features in China.

“Early screening and regular diagnosis and treatment are key in prostate cancer prevention and control,” said Ye, whose team is promoting early screening in local communities.

A multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment platform at the center offers an online and offline service which, so far, has covered 147 cities to provide medical consultation and guidance to patients and grassroots doctors.

Patients need only register once at the center for experts from different departments to offer diagnosis and treatment. Previously, patients had to register at different departments.

Since offering the service in 2005, about 10,000 patients have benefited, the hospital said.

Since the cross-region multidisciplinary platform was launched in 2016, it has become the largest and most-known diagnosis and treatment platform in the field and among patients.

Recently, 31 international medical experts from 25 world-leading medical centers have been introduced to the platform for international exchanges and cooperation.

Ti Gong