History & Goals of the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study

The Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study (PCOS) was initiated in 1994 by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to look at the impact that treatments for primary prostate cancer have on the quality of life of men living with prostate cancer. PCOS is collaborating with six cancer registries that are part of NCI's SEER Program, established in 1973 to collect cancer data on a routine basis from designated population-based cancer registries in various areas of the country.

PCOS is the first population-based evaluation of health-related quality-of-life issues for prostate cancer patients conducted on a multi-regional scale. It is expected that better knowledge of the effects of treatment will help men, their families, and clinicians make more informed choices about treatment alternatives. PCOS will also provide the most detailed data ever collected on the patterns of prostate cancer care.

To obtain more details about the rationale, background, objectives, and methods of the PCOS, see:

Potosky AL, Harlan LC, Stanford JL, et al. Prostate cancer practice patterns and quality of life: the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study. J Natl Cancer Inst 1999;91:1719-24.

PCOS data has been used in many publications.