Table 3 Summary of primary and secondary outcomes, process measures, mediating factors and required sample sizes for each cancer
Prostate cancer | |
Primary outcome | • Radical prostatectomy: proportion of men treated by primary surgery who remain continent (pad free) at 12 months (research indicates range of 80–92%, depending on procedure) [69] |
Secondary outcomes | • Radical prostatectomy: proportion of men treated by surgery with pre-operative erectile function who have erections sufficient for penetration at 12 months • Length of stay • Readmission • Surgical complications • Post-operative complications • Diagnostic outcomes: proportion of men diagnosed with clinically significant prostate cancer • Patient experience, including choice of treatment, access to services, confidence in staff, communication, effectiveness of teamwork and opportunity to participate in research |
Bladder cancer | |
Primary outcome | • 30-day post-operative mortality (national figure (2012) = 2.4%) [70] |
Secondary outcomes | • Length of stay • Proportion of patients offered neo-bladder reconstruction • Proportion of patients receiving neo-bladder reconstruction • Surgical complications (measured by Clavien–Dindo grading) • Patient experience (measures as above) |
Renal cancer | |
Primary outcome | • 30-day post-operative mortality (anticipated figure = 0.9%) [71] |
Secondary outcomes | • 30 day readmission • % of cases of T1a tumours having nephron-sparing surgery • Length of stay • Surgical complications (measured by Clavien–Dindo grading) • Conversion from laparoscopic (including robotically assisted) to open surgery • Patient experience (measures as above) |
OG cancer | |
Primary outcome | • 30-day post-operative mortality (national figure (2013) = 2.3%) [72] |
Secondary outcomes | • % of patients offered endoscopic resection for tumours staged as T1a • Length of stay • % Complete R0 resection (i.e. full removal of tumour) • Surgical complications—anastomotic leak • Patient experience (measures as above) |
Intermediate outcomes (all) | |
|  | • Waiting times (within 62 days of referral, 31 days of decision to treat) • Number of patients seen by surgeon • Case volume per surgeon • Proportion of cases where surgery is an emergency procedure |
Mediating factors (all) | |
|  | • Patient characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status) • Cancer stage • Whether procedure is a salvage procedure |