title: Baseline health-related quality of life in the management of prostate cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to clarify characteristics of baseline health-related quality of life (HRQOL) during the diagnostic process of prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was conducted to measure HRQOL in a cohort of 141 patients in whom prostate cancer was suspected and prostate biopsy was scheduled, using both generic and disease-specific HRQOL measures (SF-36, UCLA-Prostate Cancer Index) at two points: before prostate biopsy (prediagnosis) and after giving biopsy results (postdiagnosis). Seventy-three patients were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 68 were not.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to age-gender adjusted population norms, patients demonstrated better physical function (PF) and worse mental health (MH). Characteristic age-related changes were found in PF and sexual function (SXF); however, disease stage exhibited no relevant effects in HRQOL. No significant difference was detected between pre- and postdiagnosis SF-36 and UCLA-PCI scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study discovered no relevant impact of the diagnostic process of prostate cancer on baseline HRQOL using SF-36 and UCLA-PCI. Combined with results of previous studies, it is supportive of regarding pretreatment levels of HRQOL as the baseline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akakura
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komiya
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imamoto
authors.forename: Toyofusa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tobe
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires