Men's symptom experience throughout androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer: A systematic review and...

Androgen deprivation therapy is a common treatment for men with advanced prostate cancer. They have experienced many complex symptoms that affect their quality of life. However, qualitative reviews that synthesize the symptom experience for men with prostate cancer are lacking.

To explore the men's symptom experience throughout androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer.

A qualitative evidence synthesis using meta-aggregation.

Published and unpublished literature between January 2001 and August 2023 were identified from PubMed, Embase (Ovid), Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), The Cochrane Library, ProQuest, Google Scholar, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wang Fang, and VIP.

Two reviewers independently conducted screening, study selection and data extraction, and quality appraisal was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institutes Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. Data synthesis was conducted using meta-aggregative approach.

24 articles of moderate to high methodological quality were included. A total of 98 findings were extracted with 59 unequivocal or equivocal findings eligible for meta-aggregation, aggregated into nine categories, and developed four synthesized findings: (1) production of symptoms: unrecognized and underestimated, (2) perception of symptoms: varied and complicated, (3) meaning of symptoms: threatened and affected, and (4) response to symptoms: push and pull.

Men throughout androgen deprivation for prostate cancer experience the four crisis-packed stages in their symptomatic journey. Health care provider need to understand the men's thoughts whether in the process of shared decision-making or in the course of the chosen therapy. Future research should develop individual suitable interventions and offer practical strategies for managing symptom. PROSPERO registration: CRD42023449129.