PCO

The „Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study“ (PCO study), funded by the Movember Foundation, aims to help improve the physical and mental health of men who are being treated for localised prostate cancer. The PCO study is a joint project of the German Prostate Cancer Self-Help Association (BPS), the German Cancer Society (DKG), OnkoZert and now over 100 participating Certified Prostate Cancer Centres. The PCO study has been recruiting patients in DKG-Certified Prostate Cancer Centres in Germany and Switzerland since July 2016. In the meantime, more than 45,000 patients have participated in the study. In the study, patients are surveyed by means of a standardised questionnaire (EPIC-26) on the functional outcomes „incontinence“, „irritable/obstructive“, „gastrointestinal“, „sexuality“, „hormonal“ pre-therapeutically and at least once (after 12 months) post-therapeutically. The survey data will be linked to disease and treatment data available in the centres. The results are analysed in a casemix-adjusted manner for the pseudonymised comparison of centres. The PCO study is part of the TrueNTH Global Registry, in which 15 countries are now participating.
Involved Institutions
German Cancer Society (DKG)
Bundesverband Prostata Selbsthilfe (BPS)
OnkoZert
Certified Prostate Cancer Centres
Funding
Movember Foundation
Förderverein Hilfe bei Prostatakrebs (FHbP)
Duration
July 2016 – unlimited
Publications
see annual reports
see publications
Website
www.pco-study.com
Contact
PD Dr. Christoph Kowalski