Measures to evaluate quality of care in renal cancer: results of a Delphi study in Spain.

Purpose: To review current measures for renal cancer care and develop a comprehensive and updated list of measures for their practical use. Methods: The study was developed by Fundación ECO, a Spanish foundation aiming to improve oncology quality of care. A systematic literature review was carried out to identify measures and knowledge gaps. A scientific committee composed of 9 experts reviewed the literature findings and added measures. A preliminary list of 42 measures was evaluated with the Delphi method to gather feedback from 47 medical oncology experts in Spain. Experts scored the appropriateness of the measures and ranked their priority in 2 consecutive online surveys. The scientific committee reviewed the Delphi results and developed the measures. A technical group from Universidad Francisco de Vitoria conducted and oversaw the Delphi method. Results: The Delphi method led to consensus on all 42 measures. The scientific committee used a prioritisation matrix to select 25 of these measures for evaluating quality of care in renal cancer. These measures regarded structure, process, and outcome and covered general management, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and evaluation of health outcomes. Easy-to-use index cards were developed for all 25 measures, including their definition, formula, acceptable level of attainment, and rationale. Conclusions: This manuscript aims to provide healthcare professionals with expert- and evidence-based measures that are useful for evaluating quality of care in renal cancer and cover all aspects and stages.pre-print451 K

The economic burden of localized prostate cancer and insights derived from cost-effectiveness studies of the different treatments

Prostate cancer is one of the most frequent and impacting malignant neoplasms for men. In particular, localized prostate cancer has a notably high incidence and prevalence, despite which a solid consensus on treatment and procedure of care has not yet been reached. This article aims to shed light on this challenge by characterizing the economic burden and cost-effectiveness of different treatment strategies for localized prostate cancer after analyzing published comparable data from studies conducted in OECD countries

Más allá de la genética: Factores ambientales y cáncer

El cáncer es uno de los problemas sanitarios más importantes de los países occidentales, dada su alta incidencia y elevada mortalidad. Constituye la segunda causa de muerte después de las enfermedades cardiovasculares, y la primera causa en la población menor de 70 años. En este artículo nos ocuparemos de los factores externos capaces de inducir el desarrollo de un cáncer: agentes químicos, físicos y biológico