• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

MassDevice

The Medical Device Business Journal — Medical Device News & Articles | MassDevice

  • Latest News
    • Cardiovascular
    • Orthopedics
  • Wall Street Beat
    • Funding Roundup
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Podcasts & Webinars
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
  • Resources
    • About MassDevice
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Leadership in Medtech
    • Manufacturers & Suppliers Search
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Videos
    • Whitepapers
  • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
  • Coronavirus: Live updates
Home » Prostate cancer: To cut or not to cut?

Prostate cancer: To cut or not to cut?

May 4, 2012 By MassDevice staff

surgery

Early results from a long-term study of prostate cancer patients concluded that removal of the gland barely increased the likelihood for survival in patients with low-risk tumors, concluding that the surgical approach "may be neither necessary nor effective."

The study, presented at the European Assn. of Urology meeting late last month, followed more than 730 men for an average of 10 years, concluding that low-risk patients who underwent radical prostatectomy were about 3% more likely to survive than men under the "wait and see" arm of the trial, regardless of age, race, comorbidity, health status or histology.

Patients with more serious tumors, based on prostate-specific antigen testing, were better candidates for surgery, according to the study’s authors.

The news comes amid an increasingly competitive market for prostate cancer treatment providers, in which robot-assisted radical prostatectomy is favored and Intuitive Surgical (NSDQ:ISRG) has a corner on the market.

A recently released meta-analysis looking at a clutch of studies with Intuitive’s da Vinci device found that the robot-assisted prostatectomy system was at least as good as other surgical methods in the short-term and may decrease complications related to surgery, MedScape.com reported.

Rival device maker Accuray (NSDQ:ARAY) last week announced the launch of a head-to-head clinical trial comparing its CyberKnife radiosurgery prostate cancer treatment device against Intuitive’s da Vinci robot. Neither study had the "wait and see" approach on the docket.

The newly presented research, sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, set out in 1994 to compare radical prostatectomy with "watchful waiting," defined as "expectant management with palliative therapy for symptomatic or metastatic disease progression."

Led by Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s Dr. Timothy Wilt, the study looked at total mortality, disease free and progression free survival, morbidity, quality of life, and cost effectiveness for the 2 approaches.

Between 1994 and 2002 investigators enrolled 731 men averaging 67 years old into the Prostate Intervention Versus Observation Trial, randomizing patients for either surgery or watchful waiting, following up through 2010.

By the end of the study, 49.9% of the men assigned to observation and 47% of those assigned to surgery died. Among the observation group, 8.4% died from prostate cancer or prostate cancer treatment, compared with 5.8% of the prostatectomy group.

"Radical prostatectomy provides potentially curative removal of the cancer," the study concluded. "However, it subjects patients to the morbidity and mortality of the surgery and may be neither necessary nor effective."

One U.K. urologist wasn’t surprised by the findings, telling the U.K. Independent that many of the men included in the U.S. study shouldn’t have been considered candidates for prostatectomy to begin with based on their age and risk profile.

"We would offer milder treatment such as radiotherapy or watchful waiting," Guys & St. Thomas’ NHS Trust consultant urologist Ben Challacombe told the paper. "We are better than the U.S. in putting men on surveillance."

The researchers have been making the rounds, presenting their data at a variety of conferences without publication since last year. Some have raised eyebrows about the study’s lack of publication.

"It is becoming embarrassing that the full data from the PIVOT trial are still unpublished nearly 12 months after their initial presentation," editors at The “New” Prostate Cancer InfoLink wrote. "The PIVOT trial is an important study, but the Devil is in the details … and as yet the details from this trial remain unpublished."

Filed Under: News Well, Research & Development, Surgical Tagged With: Accuray Inc., Clinical Trials, Intuitive Surgical, Prostate

In case you missed it

  • CeQur is launching a discreet, convenient ‘wearable insulin pen’
  • Teva appoints former Vertex exec as new head of R&D, CMO
  • Enovis partners with Kelvi on hot and cold therapies
  • West Pharmaceutical Services debuts new needle syringe system
  • Titan Medical names Cary G. Vance as new president, CEO
  • Acutus completes first closing in left-heart access portfolio sale to Medtronic
  • FDA clears Intuitive, Siemens Healthineers imaging integration for robotic bronchoscopy
  • FDA backs COVID-19 boosters with BA.4/5 spike proteins for fall
  • How safe is health information after the overturning of Roe?
  • Smith+Nephew opens new plant in Malaysia
  • BD launches combination COVID-19, flu, RSV diagnostic test
  • Zimmer Biomet creates independent nonprofit organization to reduce health disparities
  • Dexcom focuses on early diabetes diagnosis as COVID links emerge
  • Nasdaq grants Titan Medical 180-day extension to regain compliance
  • Aerin Medical reports positive 4-year results for VivAer treatment
  • Blackrock Neurotech and Pitt work on first at-home BCI system for remote trials
  • How medical device companies are responding to abortion bans

RSS From Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • Supply Chain EVP Greg Smith sees fewer suppliers in Medtronic’s future
    All eyes are on Medtronic’s global operations and supply chain leader as he works to modernize its operations and scrutinize suppliers. EVP of Global Operations and Supply Chain Greg Smith anticipates fewer suppliers in Medtronic’s future, he said in an interview this week. Smith spoke with DeviceTalks Editorial Director Tom Salemi in his first published… […]
  • CeQur is launching a discreet, convenient ‘wearable insulin pen’
    CeQur designed its Simplicity device to make insulin delivery as seamless as possible for people with diabetes. When it comes to managing diabetes, CeQur wants to make insulin therapy as convenient as possible. For those who prefer to manage their own insulin delivery, the Simplicity device might just do exactly that. Simplicity, a wearable, disposable… […]
  • Meddux opens new facility in Colorado
    Engineering, design, development and manufacturing company Meddux announced that it opened a new facility in Boulder, Colorado. The new, 22,000-square-foot facility doubles the overall square footage from its previous location in Colorado. According to a news release, it helps the company to quadruple its product development area and double its manufacturing footprint. Meddux’s new facility… […]
  • Reducing the Overall Cost of Validation
    By PTI Engineered Plastics Reliable medical devices and equipment are essential for researchers and doctors to accurately diagnose and treat a wide range of diseases. That is why there is such stringent oversight from the FDA to ensure these products meet the necessary requirements and specifications. To ensure compliance with regulators, manufacturers follow installation qualification… […]
  • BBS Automation has a deal to buy medtech supplier Kahle Automation
    BBS Automation said it plans to purchase high-speed automation supplier Kahle Automation to expand its medtech and life sciences business. Kahle will operate as Kahle – a BBS Company, according to a news release from Munich, Germany-based BBS and Lombardy, Italy-based Kahle. The deal is subject to regulatory approval. Terms were not disclosed. Kahle’s co-owners —… […]
  • How safe is health information after the overturning of Roe?
    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today issued guidance meant to better protect women’s health information as state abortion bans kick in after the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Despite the HHS actions, women may still wonder whether their health information is entirely safe going forward — a potential challenge… […]
  • Dexcom focuses on early diabetes diagnosis as COVID links emerge
    New evidence is showing that COVID-19 may increase a person’s risk of diabetes, but it could be years until we know for sure. In the meantime, Dexcom (Nasdaq:DXCM) is getting ready, VP of Global Clinical Initiatives Tomas Walker said. Walker recently spoke with Medical Design & Outsourcing to discuss the San Diego-based diabetes device developer’s… […]
  • Blackrock Neurotech and Pitt work on first at-home BCI system for remote trials
    Blackrock Neurotech and the University of Pittsburgh’s Rehab Neural Engineering Labs (Pitt RNEL) are working together on the first portable brain-computer interface (BCI) to allow patients to participate in research trials from home. A Blackrock representative said it’s the final step as the company prepares to launch its first commercial product early next year. Salt… […]
  • How medical device companies are responding to abortion bans
    Days after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade’s protection of abortion rights, medical device companies are among those reassuring workers about healthcare access. Corporate communications to employees and the public at large come as trigger laws in nearly half of the states outlaw abortion immediately. Some medtech companies are not using… […]
  • Philips updates on testing results for recalled ventilators
    Royal Philips (NYSE:PHG) says only a small portion of returned respiratory devices displayed the sound abatement foam degradation that sparked a massive recall. Repeated ozone cleaning may have made the problem worse. Those were some of the major takeaways from an update Philips provided today on a comprehensive test and research program it implemented after its… […]
  • ResMed names Lucile Blaise as new Sleep & Respiratory Care leader
    Lucile Blaise will be the new president of ResMed’s Sleep & Respiratory Care business starting July 1, ResMed (NYSE: RMD) said today. She replaces Jim Hollingshead, who became president and CEO of Insulet (Nasdaq:PODD) on June 1. ResMed President and COO Rob Douglas is serving as interim president of the Sleep & Respiratory Care during… […]

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

DeviceTalks Weekly

July 1, 2022
Boston Scientific CEO Mike Mahoney on building a corporate culture that drives high growth results
See More >

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
Need Medtech news in a minute?
We Deliver!

MassDevice Enewsletters get you caught up on all the mission critical news you need in med tech. Sign up today.

MDO ad

Footer

MASSDEVICE MEDICAL NETWORK

DeviceTalks
Drug Delivery Business News
Medical Design & Outsourcing
Medical Tubing + Extrusion
Drug Discovery & Development
Pharmaceutical Processing World
MedTech 100 Index
R&D World

Device Talks Webinars, Podcasts, & Discussions

Attend our Monthly Webinars
Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
Join our Device Talks Tuesdays Discussion

MASSDEVICE

Subscribe to MassDevice E-Newsletter
Advertise with us
About
Contact us
Add us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Connect with us on LinkedIn Follow us on YouTube

Copyright © 2022 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media.

Advertise | Privacy Policy | RSS