Abstract
Objective: To ascertain the current level of understanding among older men about prostate cancer, including treatment options and their potential side effects.Design and setting: Questionnaires administered by general practitioners in five general practices in the Perth metropolitan and regional areas of Western Australia.Participants: Convenience sample of 503 men aged 40-80 years, with or without prostate cancer, presenting for routine consultations between January and August 2006.Main outcome measure: Knowledge and attitudes of men about prostate cancer, and predictors of knowledge.Results: Eighty per cent of men did not know the function of the prostate, and 48% failed to identify prostate cancer as the most common internal cancer in men. Thirty-five per cent had no knowledge of the treatments for prostate cancer and 53% had no knowledge of the side effects of treatments. Asked how they would arrive at a decision about treatment, 70% said they would ask the GP or specialist for information on all their options and then decide themselves.Conclusion: There is a deficit in knowledge about prostate cancer among men in the at-risk age group, encompassing areas that could delay diagnosis and treatment. Overall, the men preferred some GP or specialist involvement in treatment decision making. MJA 2008; 189: 312-314
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 312-314 |
| Journal | Medical Journal of Australia |
| Volume | 189 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Publication status | Published - 2008 |
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Arnold-Reed, D. E., Hince, D., Bulsara, M., Ngo, H., Eaton, M., Wright, A. R., ... Brett, T. D. (2008). Knowledge and attitudes of men about prostate cancer. Medical Journal of Australia, 189(6), 312-314.