Abstract
Purpose: Prostate cancer (PCa) disproportionately affects Black men in the U.S., leading to high incidence and mortality rates. Post-treatment challenges, such as sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence, significantly impact quality of life yet are frequently overlooked. The purpose of this study was to characterize the experience of treatment-related side effects around sexual function and urinary incontinence among Black survivors of PCa and their caregivers. Methods: We conducted semi-structured virtual interviews with 11 Black survivors of PCa and 11 caregivers (22 total participants). Survivors were eligible if they were diagnosed and treated for PCa within the last decade and caregivers were eligible if they self-identified as a caregiver for a Black survivor. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach. Results: During interviews, participants spontaneously discussed topics covering sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Key themes identified from interview discussions included the physical experience of PCa treatment, knowledge of the impact of PCa treatment on life quality, and the process of navigating survivorship care. Although they received peer and familial support, survivors expressed a desire for clinicians to initiate discussions on sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Caregivers recounted their experiences while providing support to the survivor. Conclusions: The findings underscore the need for clinicians to prioritize discussions on sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence with patients, and for enhancement of care pathways and resources for these issues in survivorship care. Implications for Cancer Survivors: Trained professionals, such as occupational and physical therapists, social workers, genetic counselors, and psychologists, have the potential to fill this survivorship care gap.
Original language | English (US) |
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Journal | Journal of Cancer Survivorship |
DOIs | |
State | Accepted/In press - 2024 |
Funding
This project was funded, in part, by The Implementation Science Centers in Cancer Control (ISC3; Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot Initiative, NCI P50 CA244431), Washington University and Siteman Cancer Center Institutional matching funds, and by the Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences grant UL1TR002345 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Lewis-Thames was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (K01CA262342), a Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute grant (NUCATS; UL1TR001422, PI: D\u2019Aquilla), and by an Institutional Research Grant, IRG-21\u2013144-27, from the American Cancer Society. The contents of this paper are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NI H or other funding agencies.
Keywords
- Cancer survivorship
- Caregivers
- Health disparities
- Health equity
- Prostate cancer
- Quality of life
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology
- Oncology(nursing)