title: Protocol-based active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer: anxiety levels in both men and their partners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess anxiety levels and health-related quality of life in partners of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) on active surveillance.
  
  
  METHODS
  For low-risk PCa, active surveillance is frequently chosen as a monitoring strategy. Active surveillance has been shown to be associated with low anxiety levels and a fair health-related quality of life in patients. However, little is known about the impact on their partners. We hypothesized that the latter suffer more from PCa diagnosis than the men themselves. Therefore, between February and August 2010, 133 couples-a response rate of 46.9%-completed a written questionnaire at their individual time lags from PCa diagnosis. A Wilcoxon test was performed to assess how distress levels affected the couples' quality of life. Binary logistic regression was used to determine factors affecting distress levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 66.2 years in partners and 69.3 in men. At the time quartiles, partners had anxiety scores of 5.5, 4.6, 5.4, and 5.6. Scores in men were statistically significantly lower: 3.9 (P = .05), 2.0 (P < .001), 3.3 (P = .002), and 3.3 (P = .02), respectively. However, the partners' scores were still well below 7 (ie, normal). Prostate-specific anxiety scores were below the clinical threshold as well: 15.5, 9.5, 6.5, and 9.0, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Active surveillance preserves an encouragingly high health-related quality of life in both men on active surveillance and their partners. Fortunately, the more adverse values of the partners are well within the normal range and thus clinically not relevant.
authors: Department of Urology, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland. daniel.seiler@ksa.ch
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Seiler
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Randazzo
authors: Ulrich
authors: U
authors: Leupold
authors: Nina
authors: N
authors: Zeh
authors: Hendrik
authors: H
authors: Isbarn
authors: Felix K
authors: FK
authors: Chun
authors: Sascha A
authors: SA
authors: Ahyai
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Baumgartner
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Huber
authors: Franz
authors: F
authors: Recker
authors: Maciej
authors: M
authors: Kwiatkowski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D057832:Watchful Waiting