Health-related quality of life of prostate cancer patients compared to the general German population: age-specific results.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to examine the age-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of prostate cancer patients (PCPs).


METHODS
387 PCPs were asked to self-assess their HRQOL with the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Patients' data were compared with those of the general German population.


RESULTS
The reported global health/QOL scores of the study group and the general German population are nearly equal. However, most of the subdomains of HRQOL are negatively affected in PCPs, especially in younger patients (<or=59 years).


CONCLUSIONS
Medical professionals should pay more attention to the emotional burden of PCPs, because their stress and strains during the time before treatment have a rather more emotional than physical character.
Zenger
Markus
M
Department of Medical Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. Markus.Zenger@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Hinz
Andreas
A
Stolzenburg
Jens-Uwe
JU
Rabenalt
Robert
R
Schwalenberg
Thilo
T
Schwarz
Reinhold
R
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires