Symptom self-management strategies in patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer

Aims and objectives To explore the association between symptoms, symptom distress and symptom self‐management and to identify effective strategies of symptom self‐management in men with non‐metastatic prostate cancer following radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy. Background Men receiving treatments for localised prostate cancer experience symptoms of urinary incontinence, urinary obstruction/irritation, bowel difficulties and sexual dysfunction. Understanding patients' symptom experiences and identifying strategies that they use to manage these symptoms are imperative for symptom management planning. Design A descriptive, cross‐sectional study was conducted with a sample of 53 men, who were within three months of the initiation of their treatment. Methods The Symptom Indexes and the Strategy and Effectiveness of Symptom Self‐Management questionnaires were used to measure symptoms, symptom distress and symptom self‐management. Descriptive statistics, t‐tests, correlations and multiple regressions were used to analyse the data. Results Symptoms were significantly correlated with symptom‐related distress (r = 0·67, p