MORE THAN half of men who have had treatment for prostate cancer experienced worse side-effects than they expected, a survey from the Irish Cancer Society has found.
Most men suffered urinary, bowel or sexual side-effects as a result of their treatment. Large numbers said they were unprepared for or unaware of these side-effects, or if they were aware found them worse than expected.
More than half of those treated also said they were unprepared for the emotional and mental toll of prostate cancer and its treatment.
The survey of 200 prostate cancer survivors, conducted by Millward Brown Lansdowne, found 98 per cent of men experienced side-effects as a result of their treatment and more than three-quarters of these experienced urinary, bowel or sexual side-effects.
More than half of the survey respondents described the side-effects as worse than expected; one-third said they were unprepared for the side-effects of treatment and 46 per cent said they were not “prepared emotionally” for the consequences of treatment.
Changes in sexual function or desire caused some of the greatest problems. Some 54 per cent said loss of libido was worse than expected and 55 per cent reported impotence was worse than expected.
Only 15 per cent were offered support for problems with mental well-being caused by changes to their body and sexual function, and nearly 25 per cent described support as “inadequate”.
Sexual relationships ended for 46 per cent of men, while a third of respondents said they were no longer “intimate” with their partner.
More than one-third were not offered support from a specialist cancer nurse for their side-effects and more than half were not offered support for problems with mental well-being.
Almost three-quarters of men who experienced depression found it to be worse than expected and only 10 per cent were offered support for this condition.
Half of those surveyed received their diagnosis of prostate cancer alone, and while 62 per cent of these made a conscious decision to do this, 20 per cent did not realise they were about to receive a cancer diagnosis at the time it was given to them.
The society said it was developing a patient charter in response to the findings, which will recommend ways to improve men’s prostate cancer experience.
Meanwhile, plans to begin a national bowel cancer screening programme are to be delayed by six months.
In an article published yesterday on irishhealth.com, the National Cancer Screening Service is reported to have said that while significant progress was being made in preparation for the programme, it was not satisfied that a fully quality-assured programme could be brought in by the previously agreed date of early 2012.
