The Rise of Robotic Surgery for Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the United States. It is also one of the leading causes of death among men of all races and Hispanic origin populations. However, with advancements in cancer screening and treatment, the death rate for prostate cancer is declining.
In 2013, The American Cancer Society estimates that new cases will total 238,590 with deaths at 29,720, indicating that the death rate has decreased from ~40% in the early 1990’s to ~12.5% in 2013.
New technology may be one factor contributing to this decline. Robotic surgery for prostate cancer was first performed in 2001 and its rise has been dramatic. The National Cancer Institute estimated in 2011 that robotic systems have been used to perform as many as 4 out of 5 radical prostactectomies in the U.S.
Medical devices can increase positive health outcomes and reduce health care cost. The rapid growth of robotic prostatectomy may become a proxy for the larger debate about the role of technology in medicine.
New technologies now must pass vigorous review by all health care audiences: physicians, hospitals, insurance companies, patients. Primary market research can help in determining what the relevant audiences think of new technologies.
References:
http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@epidemiologysurveilance/documents/document/acspc-036845.pdf
http://www.cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin/080911/page4
http://www.auanet.org/content/media/pc08.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/prostate/statistics/index.htm
PRODUCT INNOVATION is a key to improvements in health care.
To identify the unmet needs of surgeons, physicians, nurses and hospital administrators, one-on-one surveys are a key primary market research component. Medical Market Consulting has been conducting phone, in-person and web-based surveys for nearly 20 years. If you feel that your company can benefit from primary research as a way to uncover market needs and identify future products, contact us today.
