TY - JOUR
T1 - Men’s experiences of radiotherapy treatment for localized prostate cancer and its long-term treatment side effects
T2 - a longitudinal qualitative study
AU - the ProtecT Study Group
AU - Sutton, E.
AU - Lane, J. A.
AU - Davis, M.
AU - Walsh, E. I.
AU - Neal, D. E.
AU - Hamdy, F. C.
AU - Mason, M.
AU - Staffurth, J.
AU - Martin, R. M.
AU - Metcalfe, C.
AU - Peters, T. J.
AU - Donovan, J. L.
AU - Wade, J.
AU - Holding, P.
AU - Catto, J. W.F.
AU - Rosario, D. J.
AU - Kynaston, H.
AU - Hughes, O.
AU - Bollina, P.
AU - Doherty, A.
AU - Gnanapragasam, V.
AU - Kockelbergh, R.
AU - Paul, A.
AU - Paez, E.
AU - Gillatt, D.
AU - Rowe, E.
AU - Oxley, J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/3
Y1 - 2021/3
N2 - Purpose: To investigate men’s experiences of receiving external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) with neoadjuvant Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) for localized prostate cancer (LPCa) in the ProtecT trial. Methods: A longitudinal qualitative interview study was embedded in the ProtecT RCT. Sixteen men with clinically LPCa who underwent EBRT in ProtecT were purposively sampled to include a range of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. They participated in serial in-depth qualitative interviews for up to 8 years post-treatment, exploring experiences of treatment and its side effects over time. Results: Men experienced bowel, sexual, and urinary side effects, mostly in the short term but some persisted and were bothersome. Most men downplayed the impacts, voicing expectations of age-related decline, and normalizing these changes. There was some reticence to seek help, with men prioritizing their relationships and overall health and well-being over returning to pretreatment levels of function. Some unmet needs with regard to information about treatment schedules and side effects were reported, particularly among men with continuing functional symptoms. Conclusions: These findings reinforce the importance of providing universal clear, concise, and timely information and supportive resources in the short term, and more targeted and detailed information and care in the longer term to maintain and improve treatment experiences for men undergoing EBRT.
AB - Purpose: To investigate men’s experiences of receiving external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) with neoadjuvant Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) for localized prostate cancer (LPCa) in the ProtecT trial. Methods: A longitudinal qualitative interview study was embedded in the ProtecT RCT. Sixteen men with clinically LPCa who underwent EBRT in ProtecT were purposively sampled to include a range of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. They participated in serial in-depth qualitative interviews for up to 8 years post-treatment, exploring experiences of treatment and its side effects over time. Results: Men experienced bowel, sexual, and urinary side effects, mostly in the short term but some persisted and were bothersome. Most men downplayed the impacts, voicing expectations of age-related decline, and normalizing these changes. There was some reticence to seek help, with men prioritizing their relationships and overall health and well-being over returning to pretreatment levels of function. Some unmet needs with regard to information about treatment schedules and side effects were reported, particularly among men with continuing functional symptoms. Conclusions: These findings reinforce the importance of providing universal clear, concise, and timely information and supportive resources in the short term, and more targeted and detailed information and care in the longer term to maintain and improve treatment experiences for men undergoing EBRT.
KW - External-beam radiotherapy
KW - Prostate cancer
KW - Qualitative research
KW - Radiotherapy
KW - Treatment experiences
KW - Treatment side effects
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85102089049&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10552-020-01380-3
DO - 10.1007/s10552-020-01380-3
M3 - Artículo
C2 - 33394204
AN - SCOPUS:85102089049
SN - 0957-5243
VL - 32
SP - 261
EP - 269
JO - Cancer Causes and Control
JF - Cancer Causes and Control
IS - 3
ER -