Prostate cancer remains one of the top four cancers most commonly diagnosed and treated in the United States. There are more than 4,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the state of Minnesota each year. Prostate cancers tend to grow very slowly and appear to develop in the vast majority of men. It is suggested that up to 80% of men in their nineties have evidence of prostate cancer. However, prostate cancer can become aggressive, and it is important to have the latest treatment options available. The data used to analyze the patterns and quality of prostate cancer care is from the St. Cloud Hospital Cancer Registry. The registry collects detailed data about cancer diagnosis and treatment with the aim of improving cancer care.

Statistics from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) were used to establish benchmarks for evaluating quality prostate cancer care. The NCDB, a joint program of the Commission on Cancer (CoC) and the American Cancer Society, is a nationwide oncology outcomes database for more than 1,400 CoC approved cancer programs in the United States and Puerto Rico.

The professionals providing prostate cancer care in St. Cloud are committed to maintaining information about outcomes for patients treated in our cancer program.

The measures below are tracked by our Cancer Registry:

Stage at Diagnosis

Survival Rate

Treatment Options

Volume of Radical Prostatectomies

Additional Resources

Stage at Diagnosis

Measure: AJCC Stage at Diagnosis

Rationale: Men diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer have an excellent chance of survival. Staging along with Gleason score and PSA level allows the physician to assess the risk level of the cancer and provide treatment options.

Population: Men diagnosed and/or treated for prostate cancer at St. Cloud Hospital from 2005 to 2007 are included in this measure. This includes patients seen at St. Cloud Hospital, Coborn Cancer Center, and the Alexandria Radiation Oncology Unit.

Data Results: This graph compares the stage at diagnosis for St. Cloud Hospital prostate cancer patients to state and national statistics from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). The NCDB data is from 1310 national hospital cancer registries, and 18 Minnesota hospital cancer registries.

Outcome: St. Cloud Hospital prostate cancer stage at diagnosis compares favorably to data submitted to the National Cancer Data Base by hospitals in Minnesota and the nation. The majority of cases are diagnosed at an early stage and indicates aggressive screening by managing physicians in our community.

© Commission on Cancer, American College of Surgeons (ACOS). NCDB Benchmark Reports, v9.0. Chicago, IL, 2007. The content reproduced from the applications remains the full and exclusive copyrighted property of the ACOS. The ACOS is not responsible for any ancillary or derivative works based on the original Text, Tables, or Figures.

Survival Rate

Measure: Five-year observed survival rate. The cumulative survival rate is equal to the percent of men alive five years after prostate cancer diagnosis.

Rationale: Monitoring survival rates is one of many tools used to evaluate the quality of care given by a facility.

Population: Prostate cancer patients who were diagnosed and/or treated at St Cloud Hospital (including the Alexandria Radiation Unit) from 1998 to 2001 were included in this study. The NCDB data is from 1309 national hospital cancer registries. The diagnostic years, 1998-2001, represent the most current data available to measure survival rates. There was an insufficient number of stage I cases at St. Cloud Hospital to calculate the stage I survival rate.

Outcome: St. Cloud Hospital’s five-year survival rates for prostate cancer compare very favorably with national data. Since only about 6% of the cases seen at St Cloud Hospital were diagnosed with stage IV disease during the 1998 to 2001 time period, there is no statistical difference between the 52.2% St. Cloud Hospital survival rate and the 37.6% NCDB survival rate.

© Commission on Cancer, American College of Surgeons (ACOS). NCDB Benchmark Reports, v1.1. Chicago, IL, 2002. The content reproduced from the applications remains the full and exclusive copyrighted property of the ACOS. The ACOS is not responsible for any ancillary or derivative works based on the original Text, Tables, or Figures.

© Commission on Cancer, American College of Surgeons (ACOS). NCDB Benchmark Reports, v1.1. Chicago, IL, 2002. The content reproduced from the applications remains the full and exclusive copyrighted property of the ACOS. The ACOS is not responsible for any ancillary or derivative works based on the original Text, Tables, or Figures.

Treatment Options

Measure: Review treatment options available through St. Cloud Hospital and the Coborn Cancer Center to assure patients have options and choices that meet individual needs.

Rationale: There are many ways to treat prostate cancer. The best prostate cancer treatment depends upon a man’s age and general health, the stage and grade of his prostate cancer, and his personal decision. Sometimes a combination of treatments is used. A comprehensive cancer program will offer a wide variety of treatment choices.

Outcome: The most advanced prostate treatment options are available at St. Cloud Hospital and the Coborn Cancer Center.

Prostate Cancer Treatment Options Available in St. Cloud

Watchful Waiting
Adult & Pediatric Urology: Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

Surgery
Nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy
daVinci® robotic-assisted prostatectomy
Adult & Pediatric Urology: Cryosurgery

Hormonal Intervention
Adult & Pediatric Urology: Prostate Cancer Treatment Options

Radiation
Prostate seed implant
Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)

Chemotherapy

Clinical trials
Coborn Cancer Center
Adult & Pediatric Urology

Volume of Radical Prostatectomies

Measure: The number of radical prostate surgeries (open and robotic-assisted surgical approach) performed at St. Cloud Hospital.

Rationale: A review of current research findings demonstrates a strong correlation between the number of prostate surgeries done and the quality of surgical care. Institutions that do a “high volume” of radical prostatectomies, report lower transfusion rates and shorter lengths of stay.

Population: Prostate cancer patients who had radical prostate surgery at the St. Cloud Hospital during years 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Outcome: Based on the varied references that define “high volume” (ranging from 62 to 108 cases per year), St. Cloud Hospital does a very high number of radical prostatectomy surgeries yearly.

Additional Resources

Learn more about prostate cancer in our health library

View video animations about cancer and treatment options

For more information about any of the quality measures above, please contact the St. Cloud Hospital Cancer Registry at 320-229-4907.