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Table 4 Follow-up protocol

From: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of active surveillance in prostate cancer among urologists: a real-life survey from Brazil

Question

Items

N

%

Follow-up protocol

In the follow-up of patients under AS:

After the inclusion of a patient in an active surveillance protocol, do you perform a confirmatory biopsy?

No

110

26.6

Yes, up to 3 months

18

4.4

Yes, between 3 and 6 months

54

13.1

Yes, between 6 and 12 months

231

55.9

In addition to the confirmatory biopsy, how often do you have new biopsies?

Yearly

154

37.3

Biennial

106

25.7

Only if PSA levels increase

122

29.5

If there is a worsening in the imaging exam

31

7.5

In the first 5 years, how often do you evaluate PSA levels?

Quarterly

131

31.7

Half-yearly

151

36.6

Quarterly in the first two years and half-yearly between 2 and 5 years

117

28.3

Annually

14

3.4

How often do you perform a digital rectal examination?

I do not use routinely

32

7.7

Quarterly

41

9.9

Quarterly in the first two years and half-yearly between 2 and 5 years

75

18.2

Half-yearly measure

142

34.4

Annually

123

29.8

In addition to ultrasound for biopsy, do you use other imaging tests?

No

93

22.5

MRI occasionally

177

42.9

MRI periodically

143

34.6

  1. AS active surveillance, MRI magnetic resonance imaging, PSA prostate-specific antigen