Health-related quality of life the first year after a prostate cancer diagnosis a systematic review

Abstract

How do patients, newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, experience their health-related quality of life? There are numerous treatment options, all affecting health-related quality of life in different ways. How each treatment method affects patients is used when guiding these patients in the choice of treatment. However, we are missing knowledge about how the newly diagnosed patient specifically experiences the first year of treatment, supporting the decision making. Therefore, this review aimed to provide evidence on how newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients experience their health-related quality of life during the first year after their diagnosis, regardless of treatment choice. This review was performed in 2021 (renewed in 2022) in medline, cinahl, and embase. Studies showing the results for newly diagnosed patients with PC were included. A total of 12 studies were included. Across treatment types, sexual function was the most negatively affected domain, and emotional function was the domain with the most improvement from baseline to 12 months. Active surveillance seems to have similar to no impact on health-related quality of life, radical proctectomy negatively impacts urinary function, external beam radiotherapy mostly has a negative impact on bowel function, and brachytherapy negatively impacts urinary function. Across treatment types, sexual function was the most negatively affected domain, and emotional function was the domain with the most improvement from baseline to 12 months. This knowledge can be used by urologists and nurses when guiding newly diagnosed patients in how the early part of treatment for prostate cancer is experienced.