OBJECTIVES: Prostate cancer (PC) is shifting to a chronic condition due to the availability of innovative medicines. Previous studies have explored the impact of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) on quality of life, however the perspectives and experiences of patients in the UK have not been explicitly considered. The objective of this study was to explore the experiences and preferences of UK patients with CRPC.

METHODS: A focus group was conducted to gather insights from men with non-metastatic CRPC (nmCRPC) or men who previously had nmCRPC which had subsequently progressed to metastatic CRPC (mCRPC). The discussions were centred around 4 themes, based on a similar study conducted in non-UK patients.¹ Participants also completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate (FACT-P) questionnaire.

RESULTS: Four men (consent obtained) aged 64–77 years participated, two with a diagnosis of nmCRPC and two with a diagnosis of mCRPC. Self-reported cancer severity ranged from intermediate to severe; FACT-P scores were 98–139. Themes discussed included diagnosis, symptoms, impact of CRPC, and treatment experiences and preferences. Patients highlighted culture and lack of public understanding of the disease as key to the relatively low disease awareness and delayed diagnoses of PC in the UK. The psychological and emotional impacts of nmCRPC on patients’ lives were identified as great, if not greater, than the physical impacts. Neither of the two patients diagnosed with mCRPC had experienced new or worsening physical symptoms since the diagnosis of metastasis, however both noted increased emotional burden. All participants concluded that, hypothetically, they would take/would have taken a treatment that delays the onset of metastasis if it were available.

CONCLUSIONS: CRPC impacts numerous aspects of UK patients’ lives, physically, emotionally and socially. Further studies are needed to gain a better understanding of patients’ perspectives of the impact of CRPC and their preferences for treatment.