Quality of Life in Partners of Survivors of Prostate Cancer R03

The purpose of this R03 is to determine the long-term effects of prostate cancer treatment on spouses' quality of life, marital satisfaction, and their appraisal of the illness during survivorship. This R03 expands on a large multi-site prospective NCI-sponsored study on the quality of life of newly diagnosed men with prostate cancer. This study will assess spouses at 24 months and 36 months following their partner's treatment to obtain information about spouses' responses to the effects this illness on spouses' quality of life and marital satisfaction. Variables measured will include demographic characteristics, disease characteristics, appraisal factors, and outcome variables. Structural equation modeling, repeated measure ANOVA, and multiple regression will be used to facilitate a better understanding of the relationship among the antecedent variables (age, cancer severity, type of treatment), the appraisal variables (perception of symptoms, intrusive thought of cancer, perceived benefits of the illness) and the outcome variables (marital satisfaction and quality of life). Results of this analysis may help predict variables that most influence the outcomes. Since information on spousal response to a prostate cancer illness is limited, the research proposed in this application is essential for healthcare providers to begin to understand the long-term impact that treatment for prostate cancer has on the spouse's quality of life.