Men's experience of their life situation when diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer

Men’s strategies for preserving emotional well-being in advanced prostate cancer: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

“…This echoes other research in which patients with advanced cancer express a joyful appreciation for life in the present (e.g. Jonsson et al, 2009;Koffman et al, 2012, Lin & Bauer-Wu, 2003, but goes further in providing detail of the function of living in the now, such as a offering a chance to feel really alive and well in their bodies, and as a way of appreciating the present whilst also enhancing a feeling of life continuing, for example through gardening.…”

“…Navon and Morag (2003) identified interpersonal and individual level tactics such as avoidance, self-redefining and self-soothing, used by men to mitigate the effects of hormone therapy. Although not explicitly addressing well-being, Jonsson et al, (2009) found that men newly diagnosed with advanced cancer initially limited emotional expression and withdrew socially in order to protect themselves, but participants also stated an intention to live more fully. How they would go about this was not, however, explored in any depth as this was not the focus of the study.…”

“…Patients with advanced prostate cancer particularly experience decreases in health-related quality of life (Resnick & Penson, 2012), and consequently fare worse in terms of psychological distress and adjustment than those at the localised disease stage (Bloch et al, 2007). As well as emotional distress on receipt of diagnosis and prognosis (Jonsson et al, 2009), men with advanced prostate cancer experience on-going impairments in psychosocial functioning, for example in relation to the physical consequences of disease progression such as pain and fatigue (De Sousa et al, 2012). The limited research into psychological well-being in men with advanced prostate cancer tends to focus on the sideeffects of ADT, for example clinical reports of depression and mood swings relating to testosterone depletion (Sountoulides & Rountos, 2013).…”

Renewing Perspectives on Men's Prostate Cancer Literacy and Engagement Along the Disease Continuum

“…Prostate cancer can significantly impact every aspect of a man's life. Jonsson et al (2009) conclude that men with prostate cancer "are placed in a new life situation, against their will" (p. 273). These patients move through their illness experience with feelings of fear and uncertainty.…”

Screening for prostate cancer: Can randomized studies optimize the trade-off between over - and under-diagnosis?

“…On the other hand, preventing death from prostate cancer may be considered important not only for prolonging survival, but also for avoiding a very dreadful period prior to death. Death from prostate cancer may be very agonizing, with constant pain, loss of autonomy, and dependence on help with almost every daily activity [9] . During the final year of life, a rapid decrease in perceived quality of life is seen for men with prostate cancer [10] .…”