[Benefit assessment by the Federal Joint Committee: assessment of treatment strategies for low risk prostate cancer].

One of the Federal Joint Committee's duties is to assess benefit, need, and cost-effectiveness of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The aim is to decide whether they can be provided within the statutory health care system in Germany. The systematic assessment concerning low dose rate brachytherapy with permanent seed implantation for treatment of men with localized prostate cancer revealed that sufficient scientific evidence for its benefit compared to therapeutic alternatives is still missing. In 2009, the Federal Joint Committee recommended a randomized controlled trial in order to evaluate the different therapies. Based on a concept developed by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds urology and radiooncology experts and other protagonists are currently working on the steps to be taken for implementation of a preference-based randomized controlled trial to compare radical prostatectomy, percutaneous radiotherapy, low dose rate brachytherapy with permanent seed implantation, and active surveillance in the treatment of low or early intermediate risk prostate cancer.