Table 1 Cross-sectional studies of psychological adjustment to prostate cancer

Bacon et al. (2002)

• Retrospective comparison of patients and aged-matched healthy controls using the SF-36, UCLA Prostate Cancer Index and the CARES-SF

• 783 men with PCA (localized disease), no breakdown by treatment; 1928 age-matched controls

• Patients had poorer sexual, urinary and bowel functioning but not role function or mental health

• Patients reported more bother from sexual, urinary and bowel functioning

• Symptoms were related to both physical and psychosocial QOL domains

Balderstone and Towell (2003)

• Retrospective study of distress using FACT-P and the Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale

• 94 men with PCA in various stages

• Prevalence of distress: 38%

• Distress was related to poorer physical functioning and lower social support

Clark et al. (2003)

• Retrospective comparison of patients and normal controls using the SF-12 and purpose-made symptom measures

• 349 men with early-stage PCA and 398 controls

• Bowel, urinary and sexual symptoms created greater bother for men with PCA than for controls

• Bowel, then sexual, symptoms had greatest impact on QOL

Curran et al. (1997)

• Baseline measures of QOL (EORTC-QLQ) in patients with advanced PCA

• 638 advanced-stage PCA patients in 1 of 3 groups: Locoregional; Poor prognosis metastatic; Hormone resistant

• Four scales distinguished between the 3 groups

• Locoregional group had better QOL than metastatic, or hormone resistant group

• Some physicians under-rated patients' level of pain

Heim and Oei (1993)

• Retrospective study using the McGill Pain Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

• 47 patients; 80% described as 'non-metastatic'

• 43% reported pain; 20% reported depression

• Pain was correlated with depression and anxiety, increased use of analgesics, and later stages of disease

Helgason et al. (1996)

• Retrospective observational study of PCA patients and age-matched controls' sexual, urinary and bowel functions using the Radiumhemmet Scale of Sexual Function

• 342 patients with mixed stage and treatment status, compared with 319 controls of similar age

• Both groups experienced decline in sexual functioning but more PCA patients were severely distressed

• Urinary and bowel symptoms were less common and few were severely distressed as a result of them

McBride et al. (2000)

• Cross-sectional study – mail-out to PCA and breast cancer patients using Impact of Events Scale and measures of lifestyle activities

• 920 (420 PCA; 93% radical prostatectomy. 500 were breast cancer patients) usable responses from 1667 questionnaires distributed

• Breast cancer patients were younger, sicker and had higher trauma scores

• Trauma scores were negatively related to time from diagnosis

• Among the PCA patients, regular exercisers had lower trauma scores

Schag et al. (1994)

• Retrospective observational study of QOL in cancer survivors using CARES

• 278 survivors (disease free); 57 lung, 117 colon and 104 PCA

• QOL improved for colon cancer but decreased for PCA survivors

• All groups reported a range of QOL issues

Stone et al. (2000)

• Retrospective comparison of fatigue and depression in cancer patients and healthy controls using EORTC-QLQ-30 and HADS

• 227 cancer patients, including 62 with PCA; 98 controls

• Fatigue is common in cancer, especially those with advanced disease

• Fatigue related to depression, anxiety, pain, dyspnoea