PATIENTS with prostate cancer often emphasise personal values beyond clinical outcomes when making treatment decisions, researchers reported in an award-winning poster at the Annual Congress of the European Association of Urology 2026.
The study, presented by Pani Nasseri, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands, won first prize for best patient poster.
Factors that Impact Treatment Decision-Making in Patients with Cancer
The Dutch Federation of Cancer Patient Organizations conducted a national online survey, from 22 October to 5 November 2024, to find out what patients with prostate cancer view as most important when making treatment decisions.
The questionnaire was developed alongside patient advocates and covered several factors covering, for example, societal costs and demographics. More than 2,700 patients, who had been diagnosed with one of the five most common cancer types, were included in analysis.
Researchers found that, overall, three factors impacted treatment decision-making more than others: ‘the impact of the treatment on my daily life’, ‘my physician’s recommendations about the treatment’, and ‘the likelihood that the treatment will cure the cancer or prevent its recurrence’.
Variables that influenced patient ranking of the relevant factors included age, lower level of education, and type of cancer diagnosis.
Patients with Prostate Cancer
Patients with prostate cancer ranked treatment consequences on daily life more important to their decision-making than patients with breast cancer, lung cancer, and skin cancer.
Treatment success rates were also reportedly less important to patients with prostate cancer than for those with breast or lung cancer. Further, patients with prostate cancer identified treatment cost as a more important consideration than patients in other cancer groups.
Personalised Treatment Decision-Making
Overall, patients with prostate cancer emphasised the importance of impact on daily life in treatment choices more than patients with other cancer types. They put comparably less weight on success rate.
Patient priorities vary by demographics and cancer type, the study reported. Researchers suggested that findings demonstrate the need for personalised treatment decision-making that considers patient preferences, age, and cancer type, to strengthen shared-decision making and support patient-centred care.
Reference
Nasseri P et al. What prostate cancer patients find important when making treatment decisions. EAU26, 13-16 March, 2026.
Featured image: MrAshi on Adobe Stock
