Informational needs during active surveillance for prostate cancer: A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Urology
• Patient-centered care

Background:

• Active surveillance (AS) is a management strategy for low-risk prostate cancer.
• Patients and providers have distinct informational needs during AS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the informational needs of patients and providers during active surveillance for prostate cancer.
• To inform the development of improved resources for AS management.

Main Methods:

• Seven focus groups with 37 AS patients.
• 24 semi-structured interviews with national providers.
• Applied thematic and descriptive matrix analyses of transcripts.

Main Results:

• Identified six key informational themes: cancer/AS details, alternative options, resource variety, social support, and information integrity.
• Patients and providers highlighted unmet needs in prognosis, AS protocols, and lifestyle modifications.
• A demand for diverse, interactive, and unbiased information resources was noted.

Conclusions:

• Existing prostate cancer resources are insufficient for active surveillance.
• There is a significant need for enhanced, patient-centered informational support during AS.
• Future resource development should address identified gaps in information and support.