**Abstract**

The prostate carcinoma affect the quality of life of most male patients, including in particular their sexual and emotional life. The aim of study was to assess sexual and psychoemotional disorders in male patients diagnosed with prostate carcinoma and receiving cancer treatment. The study's patients were recruited at the Oncological Hospital in Wieliszew, Poland, between September 2016 and December 2017. The study was performed in 166 male patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. Two standardized questionnaires were used in the study, EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-PR25, for patients with prostate cancer, developed by the European Quality of Life Group. The type and stage of cancer treatments were a significant contributor to feeling tense, worried, depressed, and irritable among the study patients. The stage of treatment, however, caused a negative effect on these parameters. Pretreatment patients declared high or very high satisfaction with their sexual life, while posttreatment patients and those on cancer treatment indicated low sexual satisfaction. However, a feeling of embarrassment during intimate contact as well as erectile disorders correlated both with the type and stage of cancer treatment. Our results show that affected male patients should be offered continuous psychological care, especially those waiting for treatment and those on treatment.

**Keywords:** prostate carcinoma, quality of life, sexual disorders, psychoemotional disorders, oncological treatment

### **1. Background**

Prostate carcinoma (PCa) is one of the most frequent malignant cancers in the male population. In terms of incidence, it is second only to lung cancer. Treatment of prostate carcinoma includes surgical procedures, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy, and all these procedures have an adverse impact on the sexual functioning of men. Erectile disorders, loss of sex drive, and difficulty achieving orgasm are the most frequent problems in the course of disease and its treatment [1, 2]. The existing studies show that few men with sexual dysfunctions and on cancer treatment seek the help of a specialist to effectively eliminate such problems

[3]. Other studies show that this population of patients frequently experiences, as a result of changes in the sexual functioning, fear, anxiety, and depression as well as loss of male identity [4]. Therefore, psychological care and social support (including their closest family and friends) are increasingly considered an important component of many chronic diseases. At the same time, studies suggest that men who find no emotional support in their social environment are more exposed to depression and more seldom achieve positive mental well-being [5]. Additionally, it was demonstrated that specialist (psychological) and social support are associated with significantly reduced mental stress and general improvement of the quality of life in the population of men with prostate carcinoma.
