Purpose
In 2015, men undergoing radical prostatectomy in Ontario were recommended to undergo multidisciplinary care by seeing a radiation oncologist or discussion at multidisciplinary rounds before surgery. The a priori target rate was ≥76%. We used population-based data to explore factors associated with not receiving multidisciplinary care prior to radical prostatectomy.
Materials and Methods
Men who underwent radical prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer in Ontario, Canada between 2007–2017 were identified using administrative data. Physician billings identified patients who received multidisciplinary care. Multivariable logistic regression was used to predict receipt of multidisciplinary care.
Results
31,485 men underwent radical prostatectomy between 2007–2017. 28.7% saw a radiation oncologist, 1.2% underwent multidisciplinary discussion, and 1.9% had both before surgery. Multidisciplinary care receipt increased from 17.8% (2007) to 47.8% (2017), p <0.001. The odds ratio between the highest and lowest geographic regions was 7.93 (95% CI 6.17–10.18, p <0.001). Lower odds of multidisciplinary care receipt were observed for men further from the nearest cancer center (OR 0.74 per 50km, 95% CI 0.71–0.78, p <0.001) and higher odds for the highest versus lowest income quintile (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.29–1.54, p <0.001). Of 128 urologists who performed ≥10 radical prostatectomies between 2016–2017, 29 (22.7%) met the target of having ≥76% of men seen for multidisciplinary care prior to surgery.
Conclusions
Despite increasing utilization, many men do not receive multidisciplinary care prior to radical prostatectomy. While geography and the urologist appear to be the greatest factors predicting multidisciplinary care receipt, these factors are closely intertwined.