Patient, caregiver experiences in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: insights from a multi-national survey

OBJECTIVE: Patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and caregivers were surveyed to understand their attitudes, emotions, and experiences with the disease, its treatments, and their willingness to explore genetic testing. METHODS: A non-interventional, cross-sectional, online, quantitative-qualitative survey was conducted from 17-February to 9March 2022 among patients (≥21-years old) with mCRPC (diagnosis for ≥3-months) and caregivers. RESULTS: A total of 221 patients with mCRPC and 159 caregivers from USA, France, Germany, Canada, Spain, China, and Brazil were surveyed. mCRPC impacts mood, emotional and mental health (50-77%), sleep (48-68%), career goals (48-80%), and social activities (46-65%). Primary symptoms/side effects are urination issues (trouble urinating: 33-60%; painful/burning urination: 32-50%, frequent urination: 27-50%) and sexual dysfunction (lower libido: 10-57%), which impact romantic relationships. Caregivers often spouses or partners, provide practical, financial, and emotional support, averaging 11 hours/week of providing care. Patients face high treatment and pill burden (7-12 pills/day) and prefer simpler treatment regimens. Hope motivates patients and genetic testing is one such avenue of hope. CONCLUSION: mCRPC is a life-changing diagnosis with physical, psychological, and financial burdens. By encouraging early genetic testing and fostering patient-centered conversation, HCPs can provide personalized care for optimized treatment outcomes in mCRPC.