Cancer of the prostate: A biopsychosocial review

The impact of prostate cancer is described from a biopsychosocial perspecti ve. Illness-related demands or stressors, such as symptoms, side effects, a nd overall life disruption related to diagnosis, staging, monitoring, and t reatments are addressed. Although a dearth of psychosocial research exists in this field, there are indications that the sexual sphere-apart from urin ary functioning-is primarily affected. Although impotence, urinary obstruct ion, and incontinence are among the most common complaints from early stage disease on, no statistics have appealed about the prevalence of psychologi cal morbidity. The authors derive salient issues from available evidence; d iscuss implications for practice, such as the role of and need for psychoso cial interventions (e.g., psychoeducation and coping-skills training); and note that age-specific factors may influence the impact of stress associate d with the disease.