Experiences of men undergoing prostate cancer screening at a specific hospital in Gauteng Province

Abstract

Background Prostate cancer is a worldwide problem affecting men globally. Prostate cancer screening is crucial to detect the disease early and in order to mitigate advanced disease and high -cost treatments. However, men are not well informed regarding the disease and not receiving the much-needed support during prostate cancer screening. Purpose The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of men undergoing prostate cancer screening at a tertiary hospital in Gauteng and how they would like to be supported while attending screening. Research methods A qualitative, exploratory research study was conducted to explore the experiences of men who attended prostate cancer screening and understanding how they wish to be supported. A convenience sampling procedure was conducted and a total of 19 participants took part in the in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis. Findings Six themes emerged from the study which were (1) prostate cancer knowledge, (2) screening influencers, (3) sources of information regarding prostate cancer, (4) barriers to screening, (5) symptoms experienced during screening, and (6) the support needs. Conclusions The study provided evidence that the lack of knowledge regarding prostate cancer was still a concern for men. Further, the study found that health care practitioners were not providing information regarding prostate cancer. Whilst some felt that doctors did not involve them much before embarking on screening procedure. It is also recommended that some mild analgesia be administered to patients while undergoing prostate cancer screening, as patient felt the experience might not encourage others to come for screening.