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Lebentrau S, Wakileh GA, Schostak M, Schmid HP, Suarez-Ibarrola R, Merseburger AS, Hutterer GC, Necknig UH, Rink M, Bögemann M, Kluth LA, Pycha A, Burger M, Brookman-May SD, Bründl J, May M. Does the Identification of a Minimum Number of Cases Correlate With Better Adherence to International Guidelines Regarding the Treatment of Penile Cancer? Survey Results of the European PROspective Penile Cancer Study (E-PROPS). Front Oncol 2021; 11:759362. [PMID: 34912711 PMCID: PMC8667688 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.759362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Penile cancer represents a rare malignant disease, whereby a small caseload is associated with the risk of inadequate treatment expertise. Thus, we hypothesized that strict guideline adherence might be considered a potential surrogate for treatment quality. This study investigated the influence of the annual hospital caseload on guideline adherence regarding treatment recommendations for penile cancer. Methods In a 2018 survey study, 681 urologists from 45 hospitals in four European countries were queried about six hypothetical case scenarios (CS): local treatment of the primary tumor pTis (CS1) and pT1b (CS2); lymph node surgery inguinal (CS3) and pelvic (CS4); and chemotherapy neoadjuvant (CS5) and adjuvant (CS6). Only the responses from 206 head and senior physicians, as decision makers, were evaluated. The answers were assessed based on the applicable European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines regarding their correctness. The real hospital caseload was analyzed based on multivariate logistic regression models regarding its effect on guideline adherence. Results The median annual hospital caseload was 6 (interquartile range (IQR) 3–9). Recommendations for CS1–6 were correct in 79%, 66%, 39%, 27%, 28%, and 28%, respectively. The probability of a guideline-adherent recommendation increased with each patient treated per year in a clinic for CS1, CS2, CS3, and CS6 by 16%, 7.8%, 7.2%, and 9.5%, respectively (each p < 0.05); CS4 and CS5 were not influenced by caseload. A caseload threshold with a higher guideline adherence for all endpoints could not be perceived. The type of hospital care (academic vs. non-academic) did not affect guideline adherence in any scenario. Conclusions Guideline adherence for most treatment recommendations increases with growing annual penile cancer caseload. Thus, the results of our study call for a stronger centralization of diagnosis and treatment strategies regarding penile cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Lebentrau
- Department of Urology, Werner Forßmann Hospital, Eberswalde, Germany
| | | | - Martin Schostak
- Department of Urology and Urooncology, University Medical Center Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Hans-Peter Schmid
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Rodrigo Suarez-Ibarrola
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg Medical Centre, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Axel S Merseburger
- Department of Urology, University of Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Georg C Hutterer
- Department of Urology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Ulrike H Necknig
- Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, Klinikum Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Michael Rink
- Department of Urology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Martin Bögemann
- Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology, University Medical Center Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Luis Alex Kluth
- Department of Urology, University Medical Center Frankfurt a.M., Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Armin Pycha
- Department of Urology, Hospital of Bolzano, Bolzano-Bozen, Italy.,Medical School, Sigmund Freud University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Maximilian Burger
- Department of Urology, Caritas St. Josef Medical Centre, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sabine D Brookman-May
- Department of Urology, University Hospital Großhadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Bründl
- Department of Urology, Caritas St. Josef Medical Centre, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Matthias May
- Department of Urology, Caritas St. Josef Medical Centre, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.,Department of Urology, St. Elisabeth Hospital Straubing, Brothers of Mercy Hospital, Straubing, Germany
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