The psychological impact of prostate cancer after treatment: a critical review of the literature

Abstract

Aim: This critical review of the literature seeks to understand the psychological impact that treatment interventions may have on prostate cancer (PC) survivors. Materials and Methods: A literature search was conducted using databases of peer-reviewed literature. The search terms used were devised using the building-blocks technique to divide the query into facets. The articles were manually assessed for relevance and appraised using the relevant Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool. Government guidelines and regulations were also used following a manual search on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) website. This process resulted in a total of 12 sources being included in the critical review. Results: The key themes that arose from the review were masculinity, depression, anxiety and psychological implications related to sexual functioning. Psychological impact varies on an individual basis and is influenced by the quality of a patient’s experience during and after treatment in relation to sufficient information giving and support. Findings: Open communication should be encouraged by healthcare professionals to assess patient mental wellbeing. The extent of psychological impact varies on an individual basis; however, there are predictive factors that can make an individual more at risk of being affected psychologically post-PC treatment.

Evaluating and minimising the psychological stress to enhance medication adherence among cancer patients by implementing integrative oncology techniques

“…Psychological interventions improved their QoL, as summarized by Raziaanjum et al [16]. Prostate cancer patients faced distress, especially during diagnosis and treatment side effects, similar to studies by Andrew J. Roth et al [17] and Laura Binks et al [18]. Psychological interventions improved their symptoms, in line with Rhea Mundle et al [19].…”