Worries and Uncertainty among Male patients with elevated PSA levels .

Marcello Mangione, Danilo Davi

Keywords: Prostate Cancer (PCa) ; Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Qualitative Research

Background:

Patients who are aware of having high Psa values experience a state of concern and anxiety because they are unsure of whether they will need to undergo biopsies, surgeries or other interventions or treatments. Multiple studies have shown that in a population of men between 50 and 70 years old, a part of them will have elevated Psa levels (>3,5). We also know that 70% of these individuals do not have prostate cancer (PCa), but 30% could potentially have it.

Research questions:

Is it possible to establish a certain diagnostic/therapeutic algorhytm for patients with elevated PSA levels?

Method:

We propose to create a monitoring system that can reassure these patients by explaining the various necessary steps using interviews as in qualitative research method. We will enroll 10 PcPs operating in a rural area near Palermo .

Results:

We will conduct interviews with the patients already present in our database to analyze the reasons for their concerns and uncertanties. We will stage the patients based on their high and very high Psa values ,with or without symptoms and their real risk of having a PCa .

Conclusions:

Analysing the interviews obtained by the patients ,using a qualitative research method and Grounded theory ,we could estabilish a pathway to follow up patients with high Psa values .

Points for discussion:

Can we face worries and uncertainty in a population of men with elevated Psa Levels ?

Qualitative research, Interviews we can conduct with patients can help us to figure out the causes of anxiety and uncertainty in this population ?

Can we estabilish a pathway to propose to the patients to know what they have to do after they got an high Psa level ?

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