Prostate news article, April 2005
| SEXUAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL
AND DYADIC QUALITIES OF THE PROSTATE CANCER "COUPLE"
CT Soloway, MS Soloway, SS Kim and BR Kava, Dept. of Urology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA. British Journal of Urology, (International) 95 p. 780-785. Reviewed by: Mr Zach Dovey, MRCP FRCS |
Erectile Dysfunction (impotence) is the commonest complication and long term side effect of prostate cancer treatment. It is often the side effect that the patient worries about most.
This study is interesting and innovative because it examines quality of life issues, depression, psychological distress and the dyadic or twofold relationship from the point of view of the couple when the man has been newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, rather than just focusing on the patient alone.
The study considered 103 men in relationships with newly diagnosed prostate cancer and the couples were assessed in an outpatient setting with questionnaires designed to assess their separate views on the state of their sexual function, depressed mood, psychological distress and dyadic adjustment.
The authors stressed that previous studies have shown that partners are often key advocates and communicators during diagnosis and treatment. They found that generally patients perceived their sexual performance and satisfaction lower than their partners did and were inaccurate about how they were rated by their partners.
They concluded that this information could be very useful when the clinician is addressing the "prostate cancer couple" and may allow them to explore issues of sexual function and psychological distress that might otherwise have been thought of as taboo. It also characterises the disparities between patients with prostate cancer and their partners on self-reported questionnaires, and emphasises how important it is to hear the "voice" of the couple, rather than just the patient.