Long-term prostate cancer survivors with low socioeconomic status reported worse mental health-related quality of life in a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To explore whether socioeconomic status (SES) was associated with health-related quality of life (HRQL) and health care use among long-term prostate cancer survivors.


METHODS
Through urologists in the Comprehensive Cancer Center South, all 5- to 10-year prostate cancer survivors known in the Eindhoven Cancer Registry without disease progression were invited to complete the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index, and the Dutch sexual activities module. Multivariate linear regression assessed the effect of SES (based on home value and household income) on HRQL and health care use.


RESULTS
Five-hundred eighty-four patients (response rate 81%) were included. Survivors with a low SES exhibited lower mental SF-36 scores (6-16 points on a 0-100 scale), independent of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics (P < .05), and hardly any differences in physical SF-36 subscales, sexual function, and urinary and bowel function and bother. Presence of serious comorbidity had a stronger predictive value for HRQL than SES. Health care use did not seem to be associated with SES.


CONCLUSIONS
Prostate cancer survivors with a low SES exhibited a worse mental but not physical HRQL than those with a higher SES. Long-term health outcomes of patients with low SES may be maximized by paying extra attention to comorbid conditions.
Aarts
Mieke J
MJ
Comprehensive Cancer Center South, Eindhoven Cancer Registry, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. research@ikz.nl
Mols
Floortje
F
Thong
Melissa S Y
MS
Louwman
Marieke W
MW
Coebergh
Jan Willem W
JW
van de Poll-Franse
Lonneke V
LV
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*