Canadian Guidelines for the Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Objective: To develop the first Canadian guidelines for the management of lower urinary tract symptoms in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Methods: These guidelines, developed under a mandate provided by the Canadian Urological Association (CUA), were a collaborative effort between the CUA guidelines committee and the Canadian Prostate Health Council. BPH guidelines developed by the American Urological Association, the European Association of Urology, the World Health Organization International Consultation on BPH, and similar committees from Germany, Sweden and Australia were reviewed. The committee further reviewed a systematic literature search, updated to May 2004, and systematically derived Canadian urological opinion data.

Results: The subsequent Canadian BPH guidelines were developed as an evidence based consensus among the committee members. Mandatory evaluation includes history, physical examination and urinalysis, while a symptom inventory and PSA in selected patients are recommended. Serum creatinine, uroflow, voiding diary, post void residual and sexual function questionnaire are optional. Unless there is an indication, other related tests are not recommended. Treatment choices should be governed by the severity of the symptoms, bother and patient preference. Guidelines for medical, surgical and minimally invasive treatment as well as special considerations are described in terms of guideline, option and recommendation.

Conclusions: Diagnostic and treatment guidelines for BPH reflect the Canadian social priorities, economics, socialized medical practice, manpower issues, and medicolegal considerations.