title: Designing Normative Messages About Active Surveillance for Men With Localized Prostate Cancer.
abstract: Active surveillance is increasingly recognized as a reasonable option for men with low-risk, localized prostate cancer, yet few men who might benefit from conservative management receive it. The authors examined the acceptability of normative messages about active surveillance as a management option for patients with low-risk prostate cancer. Men with a diagnosis of localized prostate cancer who were recruited through prostate cancer support organizations completed a web-based survey (N = 331). They rated messages about active surveillance for believability, accuracy, and importance for men to hear when making treatment decisions. The message "You don't have to panic … you have time to think about your options" was perceived as believable, accurate, and important by more than 80% of the survivors. In contrast, messages about trust in the active surveillance protocol and "knowing in plenty of time" if treatment is needed were rated as accurate by only about 36% of respondents. For active surveillance to be viewed as a reasonable alternative, men will need reassurance that following an active surveillance protocol is likely to allow time for curative treatment if the cancer progresses.
authors.affiliation: a Department of General Internal Medicine , The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Houston , Texas , USA.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.forename: Gianna T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Kinsman
authors.forename: Yen-Chi L
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Swank
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blumenthal-Barby
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: McFall
authors.forename: Theresa L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.forename: Patricia Dolan
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Mullen
authors.forename: Scott B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Cantor
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003657:Decision Making; D018450:Disease Progression; D058015:Health Communication / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D057832:Watchful Waiting