Prostate cancer is a common disease in men. One of the main treatments is surgical removal of the prostate using a robotic system. The success of this operation is evaluated using five key outcomes, including complete removal of the cancer, prevention of cancer recurrence, and recovery of urinary control and sexual function. This research shows that modern imaging scans help detect cancer spread to lymph nodes, but they are not always fully reliable. A new, faster technique to check during surgery whether all cancer has been removed appears promising. The study also shows that removing additional lymph nodes does not always improve survival, but it does increase the risk of complications. In addition, new methods to measure urinary incontinence are explored, as well as hormone therapy aimed at improving sexual recovery and quality of life after surgery.
Diederik Baas (born 1988) is a medical doctor and PhD candidate specializing in urology and prostate cancer research. He studied Medical Information Sciences and Medicine at the University of Amsterdam. Since 2019, he has conducted research on outcomes after robot-assisted prostate surgery and is currently a urology resident.