Choose wisely: therapeutic decisions and quality of life in patients with prostate cancer

Abstract

A diagnosis of localized prostate cancer propels patients and their partners into the complex realm of decision making. The decision-making process and final choice of treatment affect quality of life (QOL). Physical, social, psychological, and spiritual aspects of QOL all can be impacted. Making a choice regarding cancer treatment is a high-risk decision. The decision-making process for localized prostate cancer is complicated further by a lack of scientific evidence that supports one treatment rather than another.