PRAISE-U

Project summary

PRAISE-U is a multi-national-led consortium with the vision that EU member states should be able to offer high-quality clinical standards, including individualised approaches to improve screening of prostate cancer in men who can benefit from early treatment.

This project brings together key experts from various disciplines representing more than 10 EU member states, including academia, health authorities, medical societies, and patient representatives. Moreover, the European Association of Urology (EAU), with nearly 20,000 affiliated health care professionals and 50+ national societies, is uniquely positioned to enable good international cooperation, knowledge transfer between member states and design and implement screening strategies at national level.

The classic one size-fits all strategy for detection of prostate cancer has focused on detecting elevated PSA and direct prostate biopsies. PRAISE-U aims to revolutionise prostate cancer screening methodologies by using a risk-based approach and aligning with EU member states. Furthermore, the project will also create an online knowledge hub platform accessible to all stakeholders in the EU and beyond which will include organised workshops, conferences publications, reports, and guidelines. This platform will gather all evidence-based knowledge on screening strategies, specifically regarding their benefit-harm balance and cost-effectiveness. This knowledge sharing will be further strengthened by site visits.

Prostate cancer is the number 1 and 2 cancer killing men in northern and western Europe respectively. It is the most frequent male cancer in Europe with important consequences for healthcare systems. Every year, around 450,000 European men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Delayed diagnosis can lead to higher rates of metastasised disease, which is a disease state that coincides with a high mortality rate and a prolonged negative impact on the quality of life. It has been shown that organised repeated screening results in early detection that can reduce suffering and dying from prostate cancer. Modern tools and strategies can streamline the process to detect cancer when it poses a threat to the patient.