Europa Uomo’s research into the experiences of partners of men with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer affects partners and caregivers, as well as those receiving treatment. What can be done to help them?
Europa Uomo carried out an innovative study looking at the experiences of partners of men with prostate cancer and the physical and psychological burdens the disease imposes on them.
The study, named EU-PROPER (Europa Uomo Prostate cancer Partners in Europe Research), built on the knowledge gained from previous Europa Uomo studies about patients’ quality of life after treatment for prostate cancer (the EUPROMS studies). These went some way to identifying the burden of prostate cancer on the daily lives of affected men, but also made clear that the effect on partners and caregivers might be considerable.
About the survey and response
The study centred on an online survey available in 17 languages. It asked partners simple questions about how their partner’s disease had affected them. All the responses collected were anonymous.
- 20 minutes online survey
- Developed with group of prostate cancer partners in the Netherlands
- Launched October 2023, closed December 2023
- Publicised through Europa Uomo and supportive organisations
- 1135 valid responses
- Responses from 23 European countries, plus USA and Canada
- Half of responses from Netherlands, Norway and Germany
- Median age: 68
- Median age at diagnosis: 61
Put together into a dataset, compiled and analysed by researchers at Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the findings present a valuable picture of the issues being faced by those close to men with prostate cancer across Europe.
Finding out what would really help partners could have a significant impact on the type of support provided after diagnosis. It could help define unmet needs and provides an agenda for action.
What the study found out
