Systematic review of research into the psychological aspects of prostate cancer in Asia: what do we know?

Systematic review of research into the psychological aspects of prostate cancer in Asia: what do we know?

Background: To review the peer reviewed literature on the psychological aspects of the prostate cancer
experience of men in Asia. Materials and Methods: Medline and PsycINFO, CINAHL, ProQuest, and Web of
Science (1999 – November Week 4, 2012) were searched. Inclusion criteria were: included men with prostate
cancer and/or their partners or caregivers who identify as Asian recruited in an Asian country; and assessed
health-related quality of life, psychological and social adjustment relating to prostate cancer and published in
English after 1st January 1999 and prior to 30th November, 2012. Study aims; design; quality; level of evidence,
and key results were assessed. Results: 43 articles met all inclusion criteria and were retained for initial review.
Of these most focussed on health-related QOL with only five evidence Level IV studies from Japan and Taiwan
including a specific psychological focus. Of these, one was a cross-sectional case control study; three were crosssectional
descriptive quantitative designs; one was a cross-sectional descriptive qualitative study. From the data
available, a substantive sub group of men with prostate cancer (approximately one third) in these countries
experience clinically high psychological distress and decision regret. Conclusions: Research on the psychological
needs of men with the increasingly prevalent condition of prostate cancer in Asian countries is scant with only a
small number of low level evidence descriptive studies identified. Future research to underpin the development
and evaluation of effective and culturally relevant psychological and supportive care interventions for such men
is urgently needed.

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