Qualitative Mixed Methods Analysis of Post-Radiation Prostate Cancer Survivorship

Objectives To utilize online forums as a source of unprompted patient experiences in understanding the impacts of radiotherapy on patients with prostate cancer. Materials and Methods Three online forums: patient.info, cancer survivor network (CSN), and CancerResearchUK were identified by structured keyword search on Google and searched for relevant posts . Principles of grounded theory were utilized to conduct thematic analysis of discussion board threads using Dedoose (Los Angeles, CA). Results 157 posts by 91 unique users were analyzed. The most frequently mentioned pelvic and abdominal adverse effects were “increased urine frequency” (n=31) and “radiation-induced GI tract inflammation” (n=28) respectively. Majority of posts showed that abdominal and pelvic adverse effects occurred after radiation treatment (n=154) rather than during radiation treatment (n=26). Most posts showed that patient’s symptoms were ongoing (n=68) as opposed to resolving with (n=35) or without (n=25) treatment. Conclusions Online forums were frequently utilized by post-radiation prostate cancer survivors to discuss their experiences and seek peer support. This study provides physicians a deeper understanding about morbidity of post-radiation prostate cancer patients through their own narrative and highlights principal issues resonating among this patient population.