Men ignore follow-ups

LOW-RISK prostate cancer is “slipping through the cracks” as almost three-quarters of men are not being followed up in compliance with a protocol to detect signs of disease progression, a new study shows.

A Medical Journal of Australia report reveals a decline in active surveillance protocol, which was created to avoid unnecessary treatment while still monitoring men with low-risk prostate cancer.

In a Victorian analysis of 1635 men, only 433 – 26.5 per cent – adhered to the protocol.

The authors of the Monash University study concluded that noncompliance “may reflect patient-, clinician-, and health service-related factors”.

They said a multifaceted education strategy may be needed to improve adherence to regular surveillance to detect signs of disease progression early on.