Editorial comment. evaluation of combined oncological and functional outcomes after radical prostatectomy: trifecta rate of achieving continence, potency and cancer control--a literature review.

摘要

As often quoted in the introduction of papers on radical prostatectomy, the "goal of modern radical prostatectomy is to prbvide oncologic cure and maintain functional outcomes." If this is were correct, the "trifecta score,", ie, the percentage of a population of prostate cancer patients who underwent radical prostatectomy and are subsequently prostate-specific antigen (PSA) free (or with negative surgical margin as a surrogate for "prostate cancer cure"), continent and potent, might appear attractive as a surrogate for a good surgical technique, and therefore would, like any other scores, allow, objective quantification of the quality of a given surgeon. This comes with laudable good intentions in an effort to improve quality of care with the mean of "quality assurance" process, obliging every surgeon to evaluate his/her results and by comparing them with peers' results, leading the surgeon to overall better results for the well-being of the patients.