title: Active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer in Austria: the online registry of the Qualitätspartnerschaft Urologie (QuapU).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Active surveillance (AS) is a well-recognized strategy to reduce the risk of overtreatment in men with low-risk prostate cancer. No data on this approach are available from Austria.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Qualitätspartnerschaft Urologie (QuapU) developed an online database for patients managed with AS in Austria. Principal inclusion/exclusion criteria corresponded to those of the S3 prostate cancer guideline of German urologists: prostate-specific antigen (PSA) <10 ng/ml, Gleason score <7 (maximum 20% of biopsies being positive). Control visits were scheduled at 3‑month intervals, control biopsies were scheduled at 12 and 36 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To date 131 patients have been entered into this data base. Mean patient age is 64 years, 6% were younger than 50 years, two thirds of patients were aged 50-70 years and 25% were older than 70 years. Mean PSA value was 5.9 ng/ml (PSA 0-4 ng/ml: 15%; PSA >4-10 ng/ml: 85%). The prostate volume averaged 39 ml. The mean time under AS was 17.5 months (<12 months: 60%; >12 months: 40%). The AS adherence at 12 months was 85% and at 24 months 76%. To date, a total of 23 patients (17.6%) stopped AS. The most frequent reasons for discontinuing AS were patient wish for active treatment (43.5%) and PSA progression (30.4%). A histological progression was rarely seen (6.1%) and the control biopsy rate was low (19.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first description of AS in Austria and documents the feasibility of an online registry for AS. The data confirm the international experience with this approach with acceptable adherence rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kaiser-Franz-Josef Spital, Kundratstrasse 3, 1100, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eredics
authors.affiliation: Urological Practice, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dorfinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Gero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ponholzer
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kaiser-Franz-Josef Spital, Kundratstrasse 3, 1100, Vienna, Austria. stephan.madersbacher@wienkav.at.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madersbacher
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009862:Online Systems; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution
keywords: Active surveillance; Biopsy; Disease progression; Localised prostate cancer; Low risk disease; PSA; Prostate cancer; Prostate-specific antigen; Prostatic neoplasms