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Measuring the individual quality of life of patients with prostate cancer

Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases volume 11, pages 390–396 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Prostate cancer can have diverse effects on patients’ quality of life (QoL). Standard QoL questionnaires do not address all of the concerns expressed by such patients. The primary purpose of this study was to identify those issues with the greatest influence on the QoL of patients with prostate cancer. A secondary aim was to compare the performance of the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life—Direct Weighting (SEIQoL-DW) semi-structured interview with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—Prostate questionnaire (FACT-P). A mixed population of patients with prostate cancer (including those with localized and metastatic disease) completed the SEIQoL-DW and the FACT-P. The SEIQoL-DW was satisfactorily completed by 180 patients, including 93 patients with metastatic disease. Patients identified 144 separate QoL concerns, and these were then independently grouped by three of the authors into 13 distinct themes. The most frequently identified themes were ‘leisure and hobbies’, ‘family’ and ‘health’. The themes that patients considered to be the most important were ‘partner/spouse’, ‘family’ and ‘health’. Patients were most satisfied with their QoL in the domains of ‘family’, ‘partner/spouse’ and ‘friends’. They were least satisfied with ‘sexuality’, ‘mobility’ and ‘psychological factors’. Patients with metastatic disease rated their QoL significantly (P<0.0001) lower than other patients using the FACT-P, but not using the SEIQoL-DW (P=0.07). Patients with prostate cancer identified numerous QoL concerns that are not included (or are underrepresented) in standard health-related QoL questionnaires such as the FACT-P. Health-related QoL questionnaires may underestimate the QoL of patients with metastatic disease.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Eileen Rix and Bridget Gwilliam for helping to collect data for this project. We also thanks Professor Roger Kirby, Mr Mike Bailey, Mr Ken Anson, Dr Hardev Pandha and Dr Catherine Waight for permitting access to patients at St George's Hospital, Tooting and at Trinity Hospice, Clapham. We especially thank Sarah White for help with statistical analysis. This project was supported by a research grant from the Prostate Research Campaign UK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Mental Health, St George's University of London, London, UK

    P C Stone, H E Matar & M Q Almerie

  2. St Joseph's Hospice Hackney, London, UK

    R F Murphy

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  1. P C Stone
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Correspondence to P C Stone.

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Stone, P., Murphy, R., Matar, H. et al. Measuring the individual quality of life of patients with prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 11, 390–396 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/pcan.2008.16

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