Men with partners do better after prostate cancer treatment

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Being married or in a relationship improves the quality of life after having treatment for prostate cancer, according to a new study.
Having prostate cancer and treatment for it can be stressful and have an adverse quality of life. A team at the University of California, Los Angeles, now reveals that partnerships can help support a man after prostate cancer treatment.

They talked to 211 married or partnered men and 80 who were single; all had come through treatment for prostate cancer. They found that those who had a partner - married or not - were less bothered by emotional problems such as fear of recurrence and less upset by after effects of treatment.

The findings reveal how important social support is after cancer treatment. For those who are single, attending a support group might be helpful. Currently, only 13 per cent of prostate cancer patients actually attend support group meetings. Maybe more encouragement should be given to help patients get the support that could help them.

Source
Cancer online 23rd May 2005 (print edition 1st July)

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