Study Protocol for the DETECTIVE Study: An International Collaborative Study To Develop Consensus Statements for Deferred Treatment with Curative Intent for Localised Prostate Cancer

Deferred active treatment (DAT) strategies for men with localised prostate cancer have emerged as a viable alternative to radical intervention as we aim to avoid the consequences of overtreatment. Nevertheless, such strategies remain controversial, with significant uncertainty and heterogeneity in all domains, including criteria for patient selection, the nature and timing of interventions during follow-up, criteria and thresholds for reclassification, and which outcome measures should be prioritised [1–3]. These are important barriers to the conduct and uptake of DAT by clinicians and patients as they prohibit comparison of the clinical effectiveness of different protocols. In order to address these issues in a comprehensive, robust, and systematic manner, the European Association of Urology (EAU) Prostate Cancer Guidelines Panel, in partnership with other leading guideline authorities and organisations (listed in Appendix A), has commissioned a project to develop consensus statements for all domains relating to DAT to standardise clinical practice and research.