Discrepancy between Expectations and Experiences after Prostate Cancer Treatment: A Dutch Multicenter Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Urology
• Patient Education

Background:

• Prostate cancer treatments can cause sexual side effects.
• Patient understanding of these side effects may influence satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate discrepancies between patient expectations and actual sexual side effects after prostate cancer treatment.
• Identify factors influencing the accuracy of these expectations.

Main Methods:

• Multicenter, cross-sectional survey of 412 men treated for prostate cancer.
• Data collected on treatment type, clinical factors, and experienced sexual side effects compared to expectations.

Main Results:

• 32.5% of men reported sexual side effects worse than expected.
• Surgical treatment, local stage tumors, and lower PSA levels were associated with greater discrepancies.
• Radiotherapy with hormonal therapy and use of brochures were associated with fewer discrepancies.

Conclusions:

• A significant number of men have unmet expectations regarding sexual side effects post-prostate cancer treatment.
• Treatment type and clinical factors impact expectation accuracy.
• Integrating brochures into patient education can improve understanding and align expectations with outcomes.