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Review
. 2022 Jul;31(4):e13630.
doi: 10.1111/ecc.13630. Epub 2022 Jun 26.

The impact of radical prostatectomy on the social well-being of prostate cancer survivors: A qualitative meta-synthesis

Omar Eymech  1 , Oliver Brunckhorst  1 , Matthew Deacon  2 , Callum James  1 , Jessica Bowie  1 , Prokar Dasgupta  1   3 , Kamran Ahmed  1   2   4   5
Affiliations
Review

The impact of radical prostatectomy on the social well-being of prostate cancer survivors: A qualitative meta-synthesis

Omar Eymech et al. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Introduction: The impact of radical prostatectomy on the social well-being of survivors remains poorly understood. This meta-synthesis therefore aimed to integrate the findings of qualitative research evaluating the impact of surgery on the patient relationships with partners, family and wider societal interactions.

Methods: Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Embase were searched for qualitative studies evaluating social well-being dimensions. A thematic meta-synthesis was conducted to inductively construct descriptive themes and overarching analytical themes.

Results: Thirty-one articles were included, with seven descriptive themes under two analytical themes generated to describe the experiences of 469 participants. 'Pathway to Conversion' encompassed three themes on the evolving social behaviour of men with both partners and family to adapt to their new normality postoperatively. 'A Man on My Own' discussed four themes focussing on both intimate and wider social relations, describing the stigma, shame and embarrassment felt by patients due to changes in their perceived body image and physical function. This resulted in men feeling alone, unsupported and seeking isolation.

Conclusion: Radical prostatectomy's impact on survivors' social well-being extends beyond surgery and causes a shift in their relationship dynamics with partner and family, highlighting the importance of preoperative and postoperative clinician's counselling to both patient and partner.

Keywords: prostate cancer; prostatectomy; quality of life; sexual partners; surgery; survivorship.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PRISMA diagram showing the selection of studies
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
A flow diagram showing the relationship between the analytical descriptive themes generated through qualitative meta‐synthesis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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