MEN who have undergone prostate cancer surgery and their partners are to be offered relationship support as part of a new study by the University of Stirling.
Following surgery, couples will be invited to attend six sessions of support with a relationship counsellor. The trial, funded by charity Prostate Cancer UK, will take place in Edinburgh. It will compare the impact of receiving relationship support with usual care (routine hospital follow-up appointments) for men after prostate cancer surgery.
Dr Liz Forbat, reader and co-director of the Cancer Care Research Centre at the University, is leading the study. She said: “Prostate cancer physically affects the man, but cancer impacts on the couple.
“In previous prostate cancer studies we have carried out, we found that many couples experience problems with intimacy post-surgery, but is not always discussed between men and their partners and often isn’t part of routine care provided by the surgical teams.
“After a man has undergone surgery it can make intimacy difficult and this is an extremely sensitive subject for which couples do not receive adequate support. The study will therefore test an intervention to see if we can support couples better in this area of their relationship. This will give couples space to talk about the impact of the disease and discuss their concerns openly in a supportive environment.”
Couples will be surveyed before and after the counselling sessions to see if improvements to their quality of life and relationship have been made, and whether they have been able to initiate changes in their relationship as a result of the support. Interviews will be conducted to assess what was most/least helpful about the counselling sessions compared to usual care. The research team will also calculate the overall cost of providing this support and whether it reduces the need for other health-care services (like GP use).
Dr Rachel Macdonald, research manager at Prostate Cancer UK, said:
“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and is predicted to be the most common cancer overall by 2030. It is therefore incredibly important that we do all we can to ensure all men affected by the disease and their partners get the care and support they need.
“Prostate Cancer UK is committed to funding research projects that employ a more innovative approach to finding answers and improving care. We are therefore delighted to be funding this important research project to investigate the psychosexual needs of couples where the male partner has been affected by prostate cancer.
“The impact of prostate cancer on couples is a largely unstudied area but can have major consequences for a relationship. Erectile dysfunction can impact on quality of life post surgery, leaving men feeling lost and unsupported. It is simply unacceptable that men receive very little support due to lack of research in this area. We believe men and their partners deserve far better than this, which is why we are delighted to be leading the way by funding this ground-breaking piece of research.”
ENDS
For more information, please contact Lesley Wilkinson, Communications Manager on 01786 466203 or email pr@stir.ac.uk
Notes for editor:
- The Cancer Care Research Centre (CCRC) was set up in 2003 so people affected by cancer could help shape the future of cancer services in Scotland. It is the only UK research centre which looks solely at cancer care from the viewpoint of people affected by cancer, putting patients and their family members at the centre of the work of the CCRC. Findings from research carried out by the CCRC are fed into practice networks and clinical settings, offering recommendations for improving practice in health and social care organisations within the NHS, social services and charities. www.cancercare.stir.ac.uk
- The Cancer Care Research Centre is part of the University’s School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, which leads the way in key areas of health and healthcare research affecting individuals and society. The School is one of the UK’s premier research schools, working with partners to provide high quality clinically-relevant research internationally to improve health and inform in nursing, midwifery and other health professional practice. www.stir.ac.uk
- The research is funded by Prostate Cancer UK (Prostate Action & Prostate Cancer Charity have merged). For facts and figures on Prostate Cancer visit the charity’s website: www.prostatecanceruk.org/information
- Prostate Cancer UK recently launched its MANifesto, which included the announcement of its largest research spend to date. Thanks to the support of The Movember Foundation, the charity will triple its research spend over the next three years to fund £25 million, making it the largest single funder of research into prostate cancer in the UK.
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Contact: Lesley Wilkinson
Phone: 01786466203
Email: pr@stir.ac.uk
Website: http://www.stir.ac.uk
