Health‐related quality of life and psychosocial factors in patients with prostate cancer scheduled for radical prostatectomy or external radiation therapy

OBJECTIVE To assess whether baseline health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) and psychosocial profiles differ in patients with prostate cancer scheduled for radical prostatectomy (RP) or external radiation therapy (ERT), as there is evidence that HRQOL is influenced by psychosocial factors (PFs), so that any variation at baseline should be considered when comparing the effect of therapy on HRQOL. PATIENTS AND METHODS Before receiving therapy, HRQOL and PFs were assessed in 65 patients scheduled for RP and in 73 scheduled for ERT. To measure HRQOL (generic and disease‐specific) and PFs, an extended questionnaire was constructed, using validated and standardized instruments. Clinical data were collected from patients’ medical records. Comparisons adjusted for age and socio‐economic status (SES) were analysed using Student's t‐test and univariate analyses of variance and covariance. RESULTS Patients scheduled for ERT were 7.9 years older and had a lower SES (both P