PiCTure - Prostate Cancer Treatment: the effect on health-related quality-of-life and other patient-reported outcomes

Status: 
Cancer(s): 
Related staff: 
Dr Frances Drummond (former staff)
Mr Eamonn O'Leary (former staff)
Prof Linda Sharp (former staff)
Collaborators & co-investigators: 
Dr Anna Gavin, Northern Ireland Cancer Registry
Dr Heather Kinnear, Northern Ireland Cancer Registry
Funding source: 
Health Research Board
Prostate Cancer Charity UK

The PiCTure study is addressing the important question of the effect on men’s health-related quality-of-life of PSA testing, prostate biopsy and prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in Ireland. Incidence rates have been rising faster than those for any other cancer, largely as a result of widespread PSA testing.

A major concern of PSA testing is that it results in substantial over-diagnosis of prostate cancer and, consequently, over-treatment. In addition, most prostate cancer treatments are associated with significant risk of side-effects.

The PiCTure study has recruited more than 3,500 prostate cancer survivors from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Data has been collected on a range of patient-reported outcomes including:

  • treatment after-effects (such as impotence, incontinence and fatigue)
  • health-related quality-of-life
  • functional status
  • psychological wellbeing utility (to inform assessment of cost-effectiveness of PSA testing
  • and out-of-pocket expenses.

 The study team are now collecting data from men undergoing prostatic biopsy in various centres across Ireland to assess whether this impacts on men’s health-related quality-of-life and psychological wellbeing.

 Better understanding of the impact of prostate cancer on men’s lives may lead to the development of services to better support men.

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