Breast and prostate cancer survivors’ understanding of risk and management of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal side effects of treatment: findings from focus groups

PURPOSE: Survival after a cancer diagnosis is improving, increasing the importance of understanding and managing long-term treatment-related adverse effects. This study aimed to understand breast and prostate cancer survivors' understanding of how cancer treatment may affect cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health. METHODS: Australian breast and prostate cancer survivors treated with therapies with known cardiovascular adverse effects were recruited via a private cancer care provider. Participants completed an online background questionnaire, then participated in a focus group. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, then analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: In total, 26 cancer survivors (15 breast, 11 prostate; mean age 67 years) participated in one of seven focus groups. Three major themes were developed: 1) Focus is on the here and now, not the future-participants were infrequently told that their cancer treatment can have negative long-term effects; 2) Wanting individualised delivery of side-effect information-participants received varying types and amounts of information about side effects, but it was not delivered in a way that best suited them; and 3) Left wondering how to best manage side effects-few participants were provided with information about how to manage long term side effects, despite wanting this information. CONCLUSION: Important information about long-term side effects of cancer treatment, and how to manage them, was inconsistently provided to breast and prostate cancer survivors. Information about long-term treatment side effects should be delivered in a flexible, individualised way to better enable cancer survivors to understand the risk and engage in preventative health behaviours.