Assessing information and decision preferences of men with prostate cancer and their partners

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare information and decision preferences of men with prostate cancer and their partners at the time of diagnosis. A convenience sample of 80 couples was recruited from The Prostate Centre in Vancouver, Canada. Participants used a computerized version of two previously used measures with this population: Control Preferences Scale and Information Survey Questionnaire. Results showed that men had a preference to play either an active or a collaborative role in decision making with their physician (92.5%) and partners (100%). The majority (55%) of partners wanted to play a collaborative role in treatment decision making. Couples identified prognosis, stage of disease, treatment options, and side effects as the top 4 information preferences. Men ranked information on sexuality more important than partners, and partners ranked information on home self-care higher than men. Men who had sons, a positive family history, and lower levels of education ranked heredity risk significantly higher. Profiles of information categories did not differ according to role preferences of either men or partners. The computer program has been shown to be a reliable and acceptable method of assessing information and decision preferences of these couples. An individualized approach is suggested, given the high reliability of individual's profiles.     

The prevalence and severity of fatigue in men with prostate cancer: a systematic review of the literature

Background

Cancer-related fatigue is a significant clinical problem and is a symptom commonly experienced by patients with differing cancer types during and following treatment. It is a distressing symptom which interferes with functioning in daily life. However, much less is known about the prevalence and severity of fatigue in prostate cancer when compared to other cancer types, such as breast cancer.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted to appraise the prevalence and severity of cancer-related fatigue in prostate cancer. Systematic searches of published quantitative research relating to the prevalence and severity of fatigue were conducted using databases, including Medline, PsychINFO, CINAHL and ISI Web of Knowledge (January 2012). Included papers measured the prevalence or severity of prostate-cancer-related fatigue and differentiated fatigue outcomes (prevalence, severity) between treatment modalities.

Results

Nineteen studies were eligible for the review, of which 17 were cross-sectional and 2 longitudinal. Findings suggest that the prevalence of any fatigue is as high as 74 %, whilst chronic fatigue prevalence was highest (39 %) when hormone therapy was combined with radiotherapy. Fatigue severity is reported as worse in hormone therapy and treatment combining hormone therapy and radiotherapy.

Conclusions

Fatigue is a common symptom for men with prostate cancer, particularly those prescribed hormone therapy. A wide variety of tools were used to measure fatigue prevalence and severity, which made comparisons across studies difficult. The review is limited by methodological shortcomings in the studies included.     

Including partners into the diagnosis of prostate cancer: a review of the literature to provide a model of care

Prostate cancer is diagnosed in 220,900 men per year and 28,900 died from the disease in 2003 (American Cancer Society, 2003). It is a serious illness that affects the patient, as well as his partner, spouse, or significant other. In addition to the initial diagnosis of cancer, many of the treatment options for prostate cancer can lead to issues that affect a couple and their relationship. Such issues include sexual dysfunction, incontinence, loss of self-esteem, depression, the possibility of death, and various other emotional, physical, and experiential responses. It is important for health care providers to understand the perceptions of patients' loved ones, as they are likely the most supportive individuals available to the patients. A model of care based on the review of literature and designed specifically to highlight issues for the partners of prostate cancer patients is presented.     

Evaluating a psychosocial intervention for men with prostate cancer and their partners: Outcomes and lessons learned from a randomized controlled trial

AimThis study evaluated the process and outcome of a psychosocial intervention for men with prostate cancer and their partners. As more men survive prostate cancer, they and their partners need help and support to help them cope with the physical and psychosocial effects of the disease and treatment. There is a lack of psychosocial interventions for men with prostate cancer and their partners.MethodsA randomized controlled trial was conducted with 34 participants to measure the effects of the intervention on selected psychosocial outcomes, post-intervention and at one month’ follow-up. The nine-week program (CONNECT) consisted of three group and two telephone sessions. It focused on symptom management, sexual dysfunction, uncertainty management, positive thinking and couple communication. The outcomes, measured by validated tools were: self-efficacy, quality of life, symptom distress, communication, uncertainty and illness benefits.ResultsThe men in the intervention group did better on two outcomes (communication and support) than controls. Partners in the intervention group did better than controls on most outcomes. Less participants than expected participated in the trial. The reasons for non-participation included partners not wishing to participate, men not interested in group work, and not understanding the core purpose of the intervention. The cost of training facilitators and for delivering the intervention appeared to be low.ConclusionThe knowledge generated from this study will be beneficial for all those grappling with the challenges of developing, implementing and evaluating complex psychosocial interventions. This study has also highlighted the difficulties in recruiting men and their partners in clinical trials.     

The needs of men with prostate cancer: results of a focus group study

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer diagnosed in men in the United States and accounts for 43% of all newly diagnosed malignancies. This year, approximately 218,890 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer (American Cancer Society, 2007). Of all men diagnosed with cancer each year, more than 30% will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Receiving a diagnosis of cancer can be very difficult and emotionally challenging for patients and their families. There is limited research surrounding the psychosocial and educational needs of men diagnosed with prostate cancer and the effectiveness of existing support services for this population. The purpose of this qualitative and grounded theory study was to explore the psychosocial needs of men with prostate cancer using a previously developed cancer model. Demographic questionnaires and focus groups were used with a sample of 16 men aged between 49 and 81 years. The results of the qualitative analysis revealed consistency with a previously tested breast cancer model and identified unique concerns of men within three stages of the prostate cancer experience. Implications for nursing research and practice are presented.     

Exploring cancer support needs for older African-American men with prostate cancer

Purpose  

The purpose of this study was to explore cancer support and financial issues related to cancer care experienced by African-American men with prostate cancer and to understand whom they relied on for resource issues during diagnosis and treatment.     

Cervical cancer patient information-seeking behaviors, information needs, and information sources in South Korea

Goals  

The aim of this study was to explore the cancer information needs, utilization, and source preferences in South Korean women with cervical cancer.     

Adults with terminal illness: a literature review of their needs and wishes for food

Food refusal can be a source of conflict between dying people and their caregivers. This review examines: the nature and purpose of food; some reasons for and implications of anorexia in terminal illness; ethical principles underpinning responses to declining appetite and food refusal; social transactions between dying people and their caregivers in relation to needs and wishes for food; and the need for further empirical research. The nature and purpose of food in human societies has been studied extensively by anthropologists but the knowledge gained is not often imported into health care practice, where eating is seen from a medical rather than an anthropological perspective. Food refusal may be a consequence of anorexia which is the result of physiological or psychological changes or it may be a deliberate choice in acceptance of impending death. Ethical principles underpinning responses to declining appetite and food refusal have been studied extensively and clear guidance obtained about what would be appropriate behaviour in given circumstances. There is little published empirical work on social transactions between dying people and their caregivers in relation to needs and wishes for food. As the contribution made to effective care-giving by high-quality interpersonal relationships is widely recognized, further knowledge about how best to sustain such relationships in these important circumstances would be useful. Moreover, as such interpersonal relationships often occur in an institutional context, it may be that more can be learnt from close examination of social transactions about how best to structure organizational processes to maximize autonomy and comfort for patients at the end of life. Further research is indicated.     

Evaluation of a revised instrument to assess the needs of men diagnosed with prostate cancer

Background This study was conducted to assess the face, content and construct validity and the internal validity of the revised version of an instrument to measure the perceived needs of men diagnosed with prostate cancer [Prostate Cancer Needs Questionnaire version 2 (PCNQv2)]. The PCNQ was constructed in two parts with Part 1 measuring needs at diagnosis and initial treatment and Part 2 measuring current needs.Methods A random sample of 650 men diagnosed with prostate cancer attending a Urologist of the Hunter Urology Group in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, were invited to participate in the study and sent by post the self-administered PCNQ. Information was provided on 145 men who were considered ineligible to participate. Completed questionnaires were received from 300 men.Results The principal components method of factor analysis with varimax orthogonal rotation identified eight factors with eigenvalues greater than 1, which together accounted for 68% of the variance in Part 1 of the PCNQ. Likewise, six factors were identified in Part 2 which accounted for 68% of the variance. Internal reliability coefficients (Cronbachs alpha) were adequate for identified factors with values ranging from 0.71 to 0.90 for Part 1, and from 0.80 to 0.92 for Part 2.Conclusions These results support the validity and reliability of the PCNQv2 to assess the perceived needs experienced by men diagnosed with prostate cancer.     

Developmental life stage and couples' experiences with prostate cancer: a review of the literature

Prostate cancer affects men in all adult life stages. As couples age, they face developmental tasks specific to their age. The combination of disease-related stressors and ongoing developmental changes may negatively affect the dyad's adjustment to prostate cancer and, consequently, their quality of life (QOL). In spite of this, a life stage perspective has not been used to understand the impact of diagnosis and treatment on patients and their partners across the aging life span. The purpose of this literature review was to explore the relationship between developmental age and disease-specific issues that may affect a couple's QOL as they adapt to a prostate cancer illness. The stages of aging are examined in 3 phases: late middle age (50-64 years); the young-old (65-74); and the old-old (75 years and older). More specifically, these 3 phases were addressed first by presenting the normative developmental challenges of each phase, then disease-related issues from the perspective of the patient, and finally from the perspective of the spousal caregiver. The literature review found that few studies considered age as a relevant factor in the analysis of outcomes of treatment; however, some differences among the groups for both the patient and the caregiver were identified. Ages of participants in the various studies covered a large span of time (50-86 years); consequently, recommendations from these studies do not consider the effect of developmental challenges on the couple's ability to adapt to a prostate cancer diagnosis. Knowledge gaps and implications for research using a developmental approach are identified.     

Acupuncture for treating hot flushes in men with prostate cancer: a systematic review

Goals of work  The goal of the study was to assess the effects of acupuncture as a treatment for hot flushes in prostate cancer (PC) patients. Materials and methods  The literature was searched using 14 databases with dates ranging from their inceptions to December 2008 and without language restrictions. All clinical studies of any type of acupuncture in PC patients were included. Their main outcome measures had to be vasomotor symptoms. Their methodological quality was assessed using the modified Jadad score. Results  Six studies met all the inclusion criteria. One randomised clinical trial compared the effects of manual acupuncture with acupuncture plus electro-acupuncture. The other five studies were uncontrolled observational studies and therefore had limitations. Conclusion  The evidence is not convincing to suggest acupuncture is an effective treatment for hot flush in patients with PC. Further research is required to investigate whether acupuncture has hot-flush-specific effects.     

Adaptation of an instrument to measure the informational needs of men with prostate cancer

AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study is to adapt an instrument suitable for assessment of the informational needs of men with prostate cancer. BACKGROUND: In recent years prostate cancer has become an important public health problem world-wide with considerable social and economic consequences. It is reported that it is the most common cancer affecting British men, with an average lifetime risk of occurrence of one in twelve. DESIGN/METHODS: Methodological research was conducted to develop an instrument to assess the informational needs of men with prostate cancer on hormonal manipulation therapy (HMT) regarding their disease and treatment. The Toronto Informational Needs Questionnaire (TINQ-BC) (Galloway et al. 1997) was modified for use with this client group and was applied to a sample of 90 men generated from three urology centres in Northern Ireland. RESULTS/FINDINGS: Construct and content validity of the instrument was established. Internal consistency reliability using Cronbach's alpha was calculated and found to be satisfactory (0.92). Using confirmatory factor analysis, factor loadings ranging from 0.37 to 0.90 were obtained and considered satisfactory. The subsections of the TINQ-BC categorized as Disease, Investigative tests, Treatment, Psychosocial and Physical needs were confirmed as individual factors. These results indicate that this instrument can be validly applied to this client group. As the instrument was initially developed in Canada and successfully used in the United Kingdom (UK), it is suggested that this instrument also has the potential for cross-cultural application. It has the potential to be used as a clinical reference instrument to assess the informational needs of this patient group. Health care professionals must be aware of the domains of information that these men perceive important so that educational interventions can be accurately and appropriately planned.     

前列腺癌并阴茎转移综合治疗一例报告并文献复习

目的探讨前列腺癌并阴茎转移的发病机制、临床特征及诊疗预后。 方法回顾性分析1例前列腺癌并阴茎转移患者的临床资料。 结果患者68岁,因排尿困难在我院行经尿道前列腺电切术,术后病理检查报告为前列腺腺癌。术后行外放射治疗及内分泌治疗,15个月后发生阴茎转移,予以个体化的治疗方案后前列腺癌特异性抗原下降,阴茎肿块缩小,不适症状缓解。 结论前列腺癌阴茎转移发生罕见且预后差,有多种转移机制参与;手术及放化疗虽为姑息性治疗,但个体化的治疗方案可延缓疾病进展,改善患者生活质量。     

Wives of men with prostate cancer postbrachytherapy: perceived information needs and degree of being met

The purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate information needs of wives of men diagnosed with prostate cancer postbrachytherapy and to measure the extent to which the needs are met. The study took place at the National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center, and 65 wives of men with prostate cancer were recruited. Wives completed the Family Inventory of Needs-Wives in recovery room on day 1 postprocedure and the demographic data form. Information needs and perceived degree of these needs being met were identified. All needs were identified as important with varying degrees of these needs being met. One item was not rated as being unmet, whereas 4 items had scores of at least 30% for being unmet. Likelihood estimates identified needs with P value less than .05 in relation to educational level of wife. A wife's need for information is prompted by her spouse's illness. This supports the findings of earlier research. A multitude of information needs exist for wives, and the degree of these needs being met varies. An assessment of needs and degree of these needs being met can guide nurses in tailoring education. Direction on approaching information needs may be needed to decrease barriers to communication and foster quality care. Employing a multimodality approach to education, reassessing needs, and encouraging questions are essential.     

Nursing interventions to improve the health of men with prostate cancer undergoing radiotherapy: a review.

The aim of this study was to investigate what nurses do to improve the health of men who are receiving radiotherapy treatment due to prostate cancer. The method was a literature review using a systematic approach. The Cochrane Library, Medline and CINAHL databases were used in a search that covered the period from January 1994 to April 2006. The screening of 200 abstracts resulted in 14 articles corresponding to the research question, which were assessed according to scientific quality. Two independent reviewers performed the screening and quality assessment process using specific protocols. Two themes emerged: nurse-led care related to radiotherapy treatment and patients' experiences of radiotherapy treatment. The results show that there is strong scientific support for nurse-led follow-up care aimed at assisting patients by means of providing information on how to manage side effects (evidence grade A). In addition, there is moderate scientific support for the need to ensure that this information is structured, objective and concrete and that it can be provided by means of audiotapes or over the phone (evidence grade B) as well as weak scientific support for reporting patients' experiences of radiotherapy treatment (evidence grade C).