Adjuvant radiotherapy after radical prostatectomy: A failure of marketing-based medicine?

Abstract

Adjuvant radiotherapy for high-risk patients after radical prostatectomy has been shown to reduce local and metastatic failure, improve overall survival and improve quality of life (QOL). The evidence, based on three randomised studies and a meta-analysis, is so compelling that the national and internatioanl professional bodies, representing urologists and radiation oncologist alike, recommend that high-risk patients be offered immediate adjuvant radiotherapy. Despite this being the standard of care, few patients fo on to recive it. This paper looks at the possibilities of why this is so, highlighting that it could possibly be related to poor marketing, communication and delivery of health information to patients and professional alike. It concludes that we need a more coordinated way to increase utilisation of the gold standard adjuvant radiotherapy post-radical prostatectomy, perhaps learning some valuable lessons from the business community.