Among men, prostate cancer is the most common solid tumor and the second most common cause of cancer death. Compared with whites, blacks not only have higher incidence and mortality rates but, in adjusted analyses, undergo less prostatectomy and tend to have lower post-treatment HRQOL. It is possible that these treatment and QOL disparities emerge, in part, from differences in how black and white men make decisions about treatment, with blacks less likely to receive forms of treatment that would be congruent with their preferences. This exploratory study among black and white men who have been treated for localized prostate cancer will utilize individual interviews in order to characterize several potential influences on the treatment decision-making process. A goal is to describe how men recall the decision-making period following the diagnosis of cancer and how they interpret the quality of their lives and the treatment decisions they made. A second objective is to identify racial differences in factors that influence decision-making and QOL. This information will be used to inform the design of a follow-up, prospective research protocol to assess the relationship between specific aspects of decision-making and longer-term, post-treatment HRQOL outcomes. Knowledge gained will also lead to interventions for patients and clinicians to improve the decision-making process.
