Patient-physician communication is critical for prostate cancer survivors' health

For prostate cancer patients who had their prostates surgically removed, patient-physician communication was key for helping them cope with their disease and for improving their health-related quality of life.

The authors of the 1772-patient study note that patient-physician communication is not only a question of patients' wellbeing or feeling accepted, but an issue of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social functioning when living with localized prostate cancer and dealing with the side effects of treatments.

"At least 3 years after prostatectomy, patient-physician communication is associated with patients' quality of life. Efforts to build and maintain a trustful relationship should be part of long-term follow-up care for prostate cancer patients and survivors," said Dr. Nicole Ernstmann, lead author of the BJU International study.