[Information needs of men with prostate cancer and their partners]

To determine the need for information of men with prostate cancer and their spouses.

Descriptive.

In February and March 1998 three questionnaires, especially developed for this study, were administered to 40 men treated for prostate cancer and 24 spouses in the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The questionnaires concerned need for information and knowledge of prostate cancer.

In general, patients and spouses indicated to want as much information as possible about prostate cancer and its treatment. Such needs decreased with increasing age. The need for medical-technical information was found to be higher than the need for psychosocial information. Spouses had significantly more need for information than patients, especially psychosocial information. This difference was partly related to age. The patients' needs for information were largely satisfied, while spouses indicated that their needs were often not met. General knowledge of prostate cancer of both patients and spouses was sufficient.

Men with prostate cancer and their spouses had a substantial need for especially medical-technical information. Their needs decreased with increasing age. The need of spouses was higher than that of patients. Patients' needs were largely satisfied, whereas those of spouses were not always met. Psychosocial information in particular was inadequate.