The experiences of gay and bisexual men diagnosed with prostate cancer: results from an online focus group

Abstract

Research concerning gay and bisexual men diagnosed with prostate cancer is sparse. An online focus group was conducted over a 4-week period with participants responding to a range of discussion questions concerning their experiences following a prostate cancer diagnosis. Emerging themes were identified and consensus reached. A summary of each of the themes was produced which the coders agreed conveyed the essence of the online discussion. All men who took part in the online focus group reported that prostate cancer significantly impacted their lives. Unexpectedly, some participants actually gained a positive perspective and adopted a sense of empowerment. Participants spoke about emotional responses to a diagnosis of prostate cancer, accessing help and support, the impact of incontinence, the impact of sexual changes on identity, a re-evaluation of life, changed sexual relationships, the need to find the most suitable healthcare professionals and identification of current needs to improve quality of care. These areas of disquiet suggest that the psychological impact of this disease may be quite significant over an extended time-frame. Further research needs to be undertaken to assess the degree of distress accompanying the treatment of gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer.

Sensitive Health Topics With Underserved Patient Populations: Methodological Considerations for Online Focus Group Discussions

“…Lack of participant consensus, a common focus group phenomena, also contributes to data richness helping researchers to identify areas of agreement and controversy within group norms (Kitzinger, 1994). The unique ability of focus group discussions to tap into social interactions has popularized it as a qualitative method in many health care studies, given that health care encounters and delivery are interactive processes (Asbury, 1995; Thomas, Wootten, & Robinson, 2013; Watson, Peacock, & Jones, 2006). …”

Sexual minority experiences of cancer care: A systematic review

“…The ways in which LGB individuals are affected by cancer and how they cope were discussed within several papers, indicating many sexual minority attitudes are common with heterosexual cancer survivors, but sexual minorities may report poorer health [24,[26][27][28]53,54].…”

“…An Australian study examined the experiences of ten SMM diagnosed with prostate cancer, the results indicated that some participants adopted a sense of empowerment regarding their cancer journey whilst others felt isolated as a result of their treatments [24]. The data was gathered through online focus groups.…”

Not just another focus group: making the case for the nominal group technique in criminology

“…An advantage of online applications of NGT and of group discussions in general is that they offer anonymity, which has been found to stimulate disclosure in sensitive topics (Tates et al, 2009, Stover & Goodman, 2012. Importantly, the online form can enable researchers to gain access to groups that are difficult to engage via others research methods, in particular young people and vulnerable groups (Stewart & Williams, 2005;Yu et al 2011;Thomas et al 2013). For researchers, the online application saves (travel) expenses and time for transcribing data since the data are already in writing (Tates et al, 2009).…”