[Management of prostate cancer biochemical recurrence in the clinical guidelines].
OBJECTIVE
Review of the Guidelines which have major impact on the urological field, in order to compare and to know their recommendations in the  diagnosis and management of biochemical relapse after a healing treatment of prostate cancer (radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy).


METHODS
We review the Guidelines of the European Urological Association (EAU), the American Urological Association (AUA), of the National Comprehensive  Cancer  Network (NCCN) and those of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), as well as the scientific evidence on which they are based.


RESULTS
In this paper we state the complexity of the subject being dealt with and coincidences and differences among them. The definition of relapse varies  depending on whether the patient has undergone either radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy. Regarding treatment, in the first case early radiotherapy is the  treatment of choice, but recommendations after radiotherapy are not so specific.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical Guidelines represent a great aid in decision making for the professional. Guidelines give recommendations with a higher o lower degree of  scientific evidence and must be evaluated regularly to include new evidences which are coming through.
Servicio de Urología, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, España. carloshfdez@telefonica.net
Carlos Hernández
CH
Fernández
Gregorio Escribano
GE
Patiño
Ramón Durán
RD
Merino
Gonzalo Bueno
GB
Chomón
David Subirá
DS
Rios
Mercedes Moralejo
MM
Gárate
Maria Jose Cancho
MJ
Gil
D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*
D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen