Prostate cancer treatment choices should consider social, ethnic background

According to researchers from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, gay and minority men with prostate cancer experience a lower quality of life following treatment, and that ethnic and sexual preference-related factors should be taken into consideration when determinging the most suitable treatment plan.

“Different communities of men view the effects of prostate cancer treatments very differently,” said study co-author Edouard J. Trabulsi, M.D., of the Department of Urology and Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Among those factors are, for instance, the increased risk of urinary and bowel function decline in African Americans regardless of the treatment types they receive, thefact that they have higher prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates than whites, and are less likely to initiate and complete treatment and less likely to trust a physician. Among gay men, there are widely differing sexual expectations and social support compared to other groups.

“It’s in the patient’s best interest for caregivers to acknowledge perceptions and expectations during the treatment decision process,” continued Dr. Trabulsi. “They should take specific demographics, socioeconomic status, and sexual preference into consideration, and tailor an approach based on a patient’s specific concerns about the implications of various treatments.”

Source: Newswise

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