Exploring Lived Experiences of Men Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer in Oman: A Qualitative Study

Life after prostate cancer treatment may extend across decades; however, qualitative evidence describing how men in Oman navigate treatment sequelae, disclosure, family involvement, and religious coping remains limited. This study explored the lived experiences of Omani men who had completed primary therapy for prostate cancer.

Between September and November 2025, 16 Omani men attending routine follow-up at a specialised tertiary care centre were invited to take part. Each participant granted a single, audio-recorded, semi-structured interview that was transcribed verbatim and analysed by thematic analysis.

Five entangled themes were generated: (1) Silent onset: most men misread early symptoms as 'normal ageing' and delayed presentation. (2) Family arbitration: wives, sons and uncles often negotiated the choice between surgery, radiotherapy or androgen-deprivation therapy. (3) Persistent corporeal shifts: urinary leakage and sexual dysfunction symptoms intruded on prayer routines, market visits and sleep. (4) Emotional oscillation: an initial surge of distress gave way to selective disclosure and gradual recalibration of self. (5) Faith as ballast: daily prayers, Qur'anic recitation and kin obligations supplied a stabilising counter-weight to uncertainty.

Life after prostate cancer in Oman is shaped by biomedical sequelae, Islamic practice and extended-family logic. Programmes that integrate relatives into follow-up consultations and legitimise spiritual coping may reduce unmet psychosocial need more effectively than clinician-only reviews.