Study on therapeutic decisions of patients with prostata carcinoma and their partners
- Conditions
- C61Malignant neoplasm of prostate
- Registration Number
- DRKS00013045
- Lead Sponsor
- niversitätsklinikum Heidelberg
- Brief Summary
Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of spouses and the relevance of quality of life (QoL) and life expectancy (LE) in the treatment decision-making process of patients with advanced prostate cancer. We also addressed the role of possible mental deterioration, partnership quality, QoL, distress, anxiety, and depression in patients and their spouses. Methods and Material: This was a cross-sectional non-interventional explorative study. We administered questionnaires to 96 patients with advanced prostate cancer and their spouses. Both patients and their spouses were asked about the influence of the spouses on treatment decision making, if they prefer quality of life or life expectancy as main goal of treatment and the perceived deterioration of the patients’ mental abilities. Additional questionnaires were used to assess medical history, partnership, global quality of life, distress, depression, and anxiety. We performed statistical tests to compare patients with spouses and correlations to detect associations between variables. Results: The spouses (65 ± 9 years) were significantly younger than the patients (69 ± 9 years). Ninety-five percent of the patients and 91% of the spouses reported that the spouses were involved in making treatment decisions. There was a high similarity within couples with regard to their preference for QoL or LE during treatment. Between couples, this preference differed markedly. Emotional control and motivation were the areas most commonly reported to have deteriorated among patients’ mental abilities. The quality of the partnership was rated as being higher than average by both partners. Among the spouses, the quality of partnership correlated significantly with the preference for LE with regard to treatment decision making. Patients and spouses reported high psychological burdens in all areas, with higher levels of distress and anxiety in spouses (p<0.01). Reduced quality of life and greater distress, depression, and anxiety were significantly correlated with the amount of deterioration of the patients’ mental abilities. Conclusions: Spouses of patients with advanced prostate cancer seem to respond to different aspects of the disease by adjusting both their involvement in treatment decision making and their preferred goal of treatment. Due to mental deterioration in the patients and pronounced anxiety in their spouses, we suggest that it is important for the attending physician to provide detailed information and support to both partners. Overall, the high-stress situation seems to affect both partners to similar degrees.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- Complete
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 200
• German as mother language or high level in german language
• written informed consent
• Patient with the diagnosis prostata carcinoma in an advanced stage
• the patient visits the medical-oncological ambulance for a consultation with his partner.
• Patient without an advanced prostata carcinoma
• Patient with an advanced prostata carcinoma who visits the consultation without his partner.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- observational
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method The main objective of the study is to evaluate the process of therapy decision of patients with advanced prostate cancer and the role of partners using questionnaires PHQ-4, PA-F-KF, ASKU, QMI-D, CPS and other specific questions at the time of the prostate consultation.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method As a secondary objective, possible differences between the questionnaire data of the partners in the areas of therapy decision, treatment goals, perception of cognitive changes, stress and partnership at the time of the prostate consultation are to be identified.