Patient-Centered Treatment Decision-Making in Advanced Prostate Cancer

Technical Abstract Overarching Objective: To leverage the proposed training and research projects to launch an independent career in prostate cancer research with an emphasis on optimizing treatment decision-making and improving patient outcomes and quality of life (QOL). Training Plan: My long-term career goal is to be an independently funded investigator who develops methods to engage prostate cancer survivors in treatment decision-making in a manner that optimizes their QOL and health outcomes. To achieve this, I will complete the proposed education plan to (1) develop expertise in shared decision-making, (2) hone analytic methodological skills related to QOL studies, advanced decision-analysis, and adaptive/Bayesian trial design, and (3) enhance my understanding of decision-aid development and implementation methods. Completing the proposed study and training will enhance my understanding of treatment decision-making among men with prostate cancer, and enable me to design superior decision-support tools that will improve their health and QOL outcomes. The knowledge gained through the education plan will also prepare me to understand how to integrate decision-support aids most effectively in clinical practice. Completing this project will also demonstrate my potential to funding agencies, enabling me to earn funding to independently investigate treatment decision-making among prostate cancer survivors throughout my career.