title: Prostate Cancer Unit Initiative in Europe: A position paper by the European School of Oncology.
abstract: The Prostate Cancer Programme of the European School of Oncology developed the concept of specialised interdisciplinary and multiprofessional prostate cancer care to be formalized in Prostate Cancer Units (PCU). After the publication in 2011 of the collaborative article "The Requirements of a Specialist Prostate Cancer Unit: A Discussion Paper from the European School of Oncology", in 2012 the PCU Initiative in Europe was launched. A multiprofessional Task Force of internationally recognized opinion leaders, among whom representatives of scientific societies, and patient advocates gathered to set standards for quality comprehensive prostate cancer care and designate care pathways in PCUs. The result was a consensus on 40 mandatory and recommended standards and items, covering several macro-areas, from general requirements to personnel to organization and case management. This position paper describes the relevant, feasible and applicable core criteria for defining PCUs in most European countries delivered by PCU Initiative in Europe Task Force.
authors.affiliation: European School of Oncology, Milan, Italy; Prostate Cancer Programme, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy; Radiation Oncology 1, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: riccardo.valdagni@istitutotumori.mi.it.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valdagni
authors.affiliation: Dept of Urology, University Hospital of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Poppel
authors.affiliation: Renal Cancer Services, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aitchison
authors.affiliation: Dept of Urology, Heinrich Heine University Hospital, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Albers
authors.affiliation: Centre Polidisciplinaire d'Oncologie, Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berthold
authors.affiliation: Dept of Radiation Oncology, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bossi
authors.affiliation: Dept of Urology, Ausl Modena, Nuovo Ospedale Civile-S. Agostino Estense, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brausi
authors.affiliation: Europa Uomo, Antwerp, Belgium; Oncological Centre, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Denis
authors.affiliation: King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Drudge-Coates
authors.affiliation: University of Warwick, Cancer Research Unit, Coventry, UK; Queen Elizabeth Hospital-Cancer Centre, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Santis
authors.affiliation: Europa Uomo, Antwerp, Belgium; Bundesverband Prostatakrebs Selbsthilfe, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Günther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Feick
authors.affiliation: Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Radiation Oncology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haustermans
authors.affiliation: Urologic and Radiation Oncology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Donal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hollywood
authors.affiliation: Dept of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Morton
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoyer
authors.affiliation: Integraal Kankercentrum Nederland (IKNL), Comprehensive Cancer Centre Netherlands, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hummel
authors.affiliation: Dept of Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Velindre Hospital, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: Malcolm
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.affiliation: Dept of Urology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mirone
authors.affiliation: Dept of Urology, Bonn University Hospital, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Academic Urology Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton, UK.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Breast Cancer Unit, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: Mahasti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saghatchian
authors.affiliation: Dept of Medical Oncology, San Camillo and Forlanini Hospitals, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Cora N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Sternberg
authors.affiliation: Dept of Urology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tombal
authors.affiliation: Dept of Urology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Muilekom
authors.affiliation: Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Maggie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.affiliation: Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft, German Cancer Society, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wesselmann
authors.affiliation: Dept of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wiegel
authors.affiliation: Prostate Cancer Programme, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Magnani
authors.affiliation: European School of Oncology, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000193:education*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Minimal requirement; Multidisciplinary and multiprofessional approach; Prostate cancer; Prostate cancer unit