title: Expert consensus document: Semantics in active surveillance for men with localized prostate cancer - results of a modified Delphi consensus procedure.
abstract: Active surveillance (AS) is broadly described as a management option for men with low-risk prostate cancer, but semantic heterogeneity exists in both the literature and in guidelines. To address this issue, a panel of leading prostate cancer specialists in the field of AS participated in a consensus-forming project using a modified Delphi method to reach international consensus on definitions of terms related to this management option. An iterative three-round sequence of online questionnaires designed to address 61 individual items was completed by each panel member. Consensus was considered to be reached if ≥70% of the experts agreed on a definition. To facilitate a common understanding among all experts involved and resolve potential ambiguities, a face-to-face consensus meeting was held between Delphi survey rounds two and three. Convenience sampling was used to construct the panel of experts. In total, 12 experts from Australia, France, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, the UK, Canada and the USA participated. By the end of the Delphi process, formal consensus was achieved for 100% (n = 61) of the terms and a glossary was then developed. Agreement between international experts has been reached on relevant terms and subsequent definitions regarding AS for patients with localized prostate cancer. This standard terminology could support multidisciplinary communication, reduce the extent of variations in clinical practice and optimize clinical decision making.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Erasmus Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sophie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bruinsma
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Erasmus Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Monique J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Roobol
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th Street, Department of Urology, 6th Floor, Mailbox Code 1695, San Francisco, California 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, #MG 408, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klotz
authors.affiliation: University of British Columbia, Department of Radiotherapy &Developmental Radiotherapeutics, Radiation Oncology, BC Cancer Agency, 600 West 10th Avenue Vancouver, British Columbia, V6R 2T9, Canada.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pickles
authors.affiliation: University College London and University College London Hospitals Trust, 4th Floor, Rockefeller Building, 74 Huntley Street, London, WC1E 6AU, UK.
authors.forename: Caroline M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Academic Urology Group, Department of Surgery and Oncology, University of Cambridge, Box 279 (S4), Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK.
authors.forename: Vincent J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Gnanapragasam
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Hôpital Huriez, Place de Verdun, Centre Hospitalier Regional Universitaire, 59037 Lille, France.
authors.forename: Arnauld
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villers
authors.affiliation: Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Urology, PL340, 00029 HUS, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rannikko
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Radiation Oncology 1, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via G. Venezian 1 - 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valdagni
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Monash Health; Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Monash University, 322 Glenferrie Road, Malvern, Melbourne 3144, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frydenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kagawa University Faculty of Medicine, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kakehi
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Winship Cancer Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365 Clifton Road NE, Suite B1400, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Filson
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Erasmus Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Chris H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Bangma
mesh_terms: D032921:Consensus; D003697:Delphi Technique; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D012660:Semantics