Assessing recent trends of oncologists in the treatment of patients with prostate cancer

The available options for treating prostate cancer (PC) have increased dramatically in recent years with new chemical, hormonal, and immunological treatment receiving Food and Drug Administration approval since 2008. We conducted a longitudinal study among a cohort of 150 US oncologists to identify how they treat patients with PC, and how these new treatment options are impacting management. From the results of a case vignette survey disseminated to this cohort in 2011, 2012, and 2013; we observed dramatic shifts in treatment choices for a patient with asymptomatic and symptomatic metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and identified a lack of familiarity with newer immunotherapies for PC. With the increased number of options available including immunotherapies, comes a concomitant increase in the complexity of treatment regimens. Given this level of complexity, it is imperative for cancer educators to effectively keep oncologists abreast of the latest evidence-based management.