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- Title
PSYCHOSOCIAL TRAJECTORIES OF MEN MONITORING PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN LEVELS FOLLOWING TREATMENT FOR PROSTATE CANCER.
- Authors
Bailey, Donald; Albala, David; Clipp, Elizabeth; Folsom, Linda; Lutgendorf, Susan; Polascik, Thomas; Robertson, Cary
- Abstract
Watching and monitoring prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels following surgical intervention for prostate cancer causes psychological distress and uncertainty in men. However, no studies have explored uncertainty in the context of PSA monitoring following treatment for localized prostate cancer. PSA values provide important information regarding disease cure or recurrence and for men with rising PSA levels, anxiety can reach dangerous levels. Yet many of these men will be asymptomatic and may remain so for many years. The purpose of this study is to describe the psychosocial trajectories of men treated for prostate cancer that are watching and monitoring their PSA levels during 24 months post treatment. The study was conducted from a trajectory perspective based on the work of Clipp, Elder, George and Pieper (1997) and Mishel's Uncertainty in Illness Theory (Mishel, 1988, 1990). Trajectories reflect the course of a chronic condition over time and the strategies used by the individual to manage its course. The setting for this study was the urology clinic at Duke University Health System. Twelve men were interviewed in their homes at baseline, over the telephone at 6, 12, and 18 months and then in their homes at 24 months. The 12 men were 75% Caucasian, 17% African American and 8% Asian American. They had an average age of 59.3 years and reported 16 years of education. Most (83%) were married or living with a partner; 17% were divorced. Baseline illness uncertainty levels, measured with the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale (MUIS), ranged from 39-112 with an average score of 66, indicative of moderate uncertainty. Graphs of individual subject's mean scores will be presented using a "typological" or "health pattern" approach and we will present individual and group trajectories of change. Watching and monitoring PSA levels is a critical issue for men treated for prostate cancer. This study provides preliminary data on the psychological trajectories of men during the 24 months post treatment for disease and suggests optimal time intervals for nursing intervention. Funding Sources: John A. Hartford Foundation, University of Iowa, Small Grants Program, Duke University, School of Nursing - TRAC Center P20
- Subjects
PROSTATE-specific antigen; PROSTATE cancer; PSYCHOLOGICAL distress; DISEASES in men; CANCER in men
- Publication
Oncology Nursing Forum, 2007, Vol 34, Issue 1, p186
- ISSN
0190-535X
- Publication type
Article