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Updated: Jan 29, 2026

Generation of Prostate Cancer Patient Derived Xenograft Models from Circulating Tumor Cells
Published on: October 20, 2015
Qualitative study of patients with metastatic prostate cancer to adherence of hormone therapy
Laura Iacorossi1, Francesca Gambalunga2, Rosaria De Domenico1
1IRCCS "Regina Elena" National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi, 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
Purpose:
To explore adherence to oral hormone treatment in patients with metastatic prostate cancer (mCRPC) and to identify the factors that influence it.
Methods:
A qualitative exploratory study was conducted at the National Cancer Institute of Rome. Patients aged >18 years with castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and who were using oral hormone drugs were recruited. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, subsequently transcribed verbatim and analysed using Ritchie and Spencer's framework analysis.
Results:
The sample included 13 patients with a median age of 72 who were treated, on average, for seven months with abiraterone acetate (AA) (76.9%) and enzalutamide (ENZ) (23.1%). Five themes were identified: expression of the concept of adherence, favouring factors, obstacle factors, functional strategies and levels of adherence.
Conclusions:
The patients express a good level of adherence, which they define in different ways-the helping relationship with the attending physician, the support of the family members and the few side effects of the drugs. For the future, it is recommended to perform a multicentre mixed method study to explain the levels of adherence and distress in women with breast cancer.
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