In 2004, more than 229,900 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, making it the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. There are many treatment choices for this disease, each demonstrating similar survival curves. The American Urological Association has recommended that quality of life (QoL) be included as a treatment outcome measure. The purpose of this study was to allow men, treated with external beam radiation therapy, to self-evaluate their QoL. The FACT-P, a 39-item likert scale instrument that measures QoL, was administered to 59 men before and 3,6 and 12 months after treatment. Data analysis by ANOVA, t-tests and Least Significant Difference Post-Hoc testing reveal a statistically significant difference in physical well-being between 6 and 12 months, in social well-being at all data collection intervals and in the specific prostate concerns subscale at 3 months after treatment. The results of this study indicate that QoL is affected by treatment, and these effects endure throughout the first year after treatment. This information may impact treatment choice and should be included in patient eduation.
Session #1207 - Oncology: & Quality of Life
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)