**3.1 Emotional problems**

No correlation was found between the study variable and the health status or quality of life score or the age of patients. However, feeling tense may be affected by the type of treatment administered to the patients (Chi2 = 94.15, p = 0.0000; R = 0.21, p > 0.05). The results of statistical analysis show that the greatest number

**177**

(Chi2

*a*

**Table 1.**

(Chi<sup>2</sup>

*Sexual and Psychoemotional Disorders in Male Patients Treated for Prostate Carcinoma*

<54 2 (1.2) 55–59 16 (9.6) 60–64 26 (15.7) 65–69 62 (37.3) 70–74 24 (14.5) 75–79 24 (14.5) >80 12 (7.2)

Before treatment 20 (12) During the course of treatment 114 (68.7) After treatment 32 (19.3)

Surgery 8 (4.8) Radiotherapy 110 (66) Hormonal therapy 28 (16.9) Chemotherapy 6 (3.6) I do not know 20 (12)

**Characteristics of the patients in the survey Number of patients (N = 166 (100%))**

of men who declared that they did not feel tense during the last week underwent radiotherapy (58.82%) or radiotherapy and surgical treatment (57.14%). On the other hand, all the patients who received surgical treatment, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy indicated that they felt very tense. A similar correlation was

Feeling worried also depends on the stage of cancer treatment (Chi2

group) or both radiotherapy and surgical treatment (28.57%) (Chi2

= 43.38, p = 0.00071; R = −0.11, p > 0.05).

patients waiting for treatment (Chi2

p = 0.00139; R = 0.20, p > 0.05). Posttreatment patients significantly more often indicated that they did not worry during the last week (56.25% of the group), while patients waiting for treatment more often declared to feel worried or very worried (40% of the group in total). Similarly to the question about feeling tense, the results show that feeling worried affected all the patients undergoing surgical treatment, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. Patients receiving radiotherapy (27.45% of the

R = 0.13, p > 0.05) most often indicated that they did not feel worried. However, no correlation was found between feeling worried and the patients' age (p > 0.05).

The impact of health status on patients feeling worried was also insignificant

 = 44.87, p = 0.00043; R = −0.04, p > 0.05), although it could be observed that patients with a greater health status score more rarely indicated that they felt worried. A similar correlation was observed with regard to the quality of life score

None of the patients who received cancer treatment declared to be very or significantly irritable. However, these responses were indicated by 40% of the

= 19.73, p = 0.00310;

= 16.24, p = 0.01251; R = −0.03, p > 0.05). The

= 21.67,

= 69.06, p = 0.0000;

shown in relation to the stage of cancer treatment (Chi<sup>2</sup>

*Characteristics of the group of patients participating in the survey.*

R = −0.00, p > 0.05).

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.87208*

Age

Stage of oncology treatment

Type of oncology treatmenta

*The question with multiple answers.*


*Sexual and Psychoemotional Disorders in Male Patients Treated for Prostate Carcinoma DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.87208*

### **Table 1.**

*Male Reproductive Health*

**2. Material and methods**

symptoms of prostate cancer.

**2.1 Ethics**

**3. Results**

**3.1 Emotional 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

The study's patients were recruited at the Oncological Hospital in Wieliszew, Poland,between September 2016 to December 2017. The study was performed 166 male patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. The study included men who gave informed, written consent to participate. In the study was used two standardized questionnaire: EORTC QLQ-C30 (version 3.0) and QLQ-PR25 for patients with prostate cancer, developed by the European Quality of Life Group. These questionnaires are used to research the summary sense of health and evaluation of performance in various dimensions (physical, emotional and social) and typical

The Ethical Committee consent for the presented research is not required. According to the statement of the Ethical Committee of the Medical University of Warsaw: "The Committee does not provide opinions on surveys, retrospective studies, or other non-invasive research" (Detailed information and templates of documents of Ethics Committee of Medical University of Warsaw (Accessed 2016-10-01): http://komisjabioetyczna.wum.edu.pl/content/ szczeg%C3%B3%C5%82owe-informacje-orazwzory-dokument%C3%B3w).

The study included 166 men. The mean age of participants was 67.66 ± 7.25 (range: 51–84 years). The main part of population taking part in the study comprised people aged 65–69 years (37.35%). The majority (68.7%) of patients, during the study, were undergoing the treatment. The treatment analysis revealed that 66% of the participants subjected to radiotherapy. Smaller numbers were found for the remaining therapy: 16.9% hormonal therapy, 2.38% surgery (4.8%), and 3.6% chemotherapy. The proportion of patients was treated with combined therapies: radiotherapy + surgery (8.33%), radiation + hormonal therapy (6.03%), and surgery + hormonal + che-

motherapy (2.41%). The characteristics of the patients are shown in **Table 1**.

by the type of treatment administered to the patients (Chi2

No correlation was found between the study variable and the health status or quality of life score or the age of patients. However, feeling tense may be affected

R = 0.21, p > 0.05). The results of statistical analysis show that the greatest number

= 94.15, p = 0.0000;

life in the population of men with prostate carcinoma.

**176**

*Characteristics of the group of patients participating in the survey.*

of men who declared that they did not feel tense during the last week underwent radiotherapy (58.82%) or radiotherapy and surgical treatment (57.14%). On the other hand, all the patients who received surgical treatment, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy indicated that they felt very tense. A similar correlation was shown in relation to the stage of cancer treatment (Chi<sup>2</sup> = 19.73, p = 0.00310; R = −0.00, p > 0.05).

Feeling worried also depends on the stage of cancer treatment (Chi2 = 21.67, p = 0.00139; R = 0.20, p > 0.05). Posttreatment patients significantly more often indicated that they did not worry during the last week (56.25% of the group), while patients waiting for treatment more often declared to feel worried or very worried (40% of the group in total). Similarly to the question about feeling tense, the results show that feeling worried affected all the patients undergoing surgical treatment, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. Patients receiving radiotherapy (27.45% of the group) or both radiotherapy and surgical treatment (28.57%) (Chi2 = 69.06, p = 0.0000; R = 0.13, p > 0.05) most often indicated that they did not feel worried. However, no correlation was found between feeling worried and the patients' age (p > 0.05).

The impact of health status on patients feeling worried was also insignificant (Chi2 = 44.87, p = 0.00043; R = −0.04, p > 0.05), although it could be observed that patients with a greater health status score more rarely indicated that they felt worried. A similar correlation was observed with regard to the quality of life score (Chi<sup>2</sup> = 43.38, p = 0.00071; R = −0.11, p > 0.05).

None of the patients who received cancer treatment declared to be very or significantly irritable. However, these responses were indicated by 40% of the patients waiting for treatment (Chi2 = 16.24, p = 0.01251; R = −0.03, p > 0.05). The least irritability were experienced by patients undergoing radiotherapy or surgical treatment, the greatest irritability—by patients receiving surgical treatment, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy (Chi2 = 69.05, p = 0.0000; R = 0.06, p > 0.05). On the other hand, no correlation was found between feeling irritable and the patients' age, health status, or quality of life score (p > 0.05 for all the cases).

Even though no correlation was found between the age or the quality of life score and feeling depressed (p > 0.05), a statistical analysis of the study results showed that feeling depressed may depend on the patient's health status (Chi2 = 33.34, p = 0.01517; R = −0.36, p = 0.00681). Patients with a lower health status score much more often declared that they felt depressed during the last week.

As with the above-described correlations, feeling depressed is also correlated (although weakly) with the stage of the patient's treatment (Chi2 = 13.11, p = 0.04122; R = 0.06, p > 0.05) and the type of treatment (Chi2 = 67.37, p = 0.0000; R = 0.11, p > 0.05). No depression was most often indicated by patients who underwent cancer treatment (56.25% of this group), radiotherapy (45.10%), or both radiotherapy and surgery (42.86%).

The greatest difficulties in remembering were indicated by pretreatment patients (30% of responses "to a significant degree" and "very much" in this group of patients compared to 7% of the patients on treatment and 0% of the posttreatment patients) (Chi2 = 19.25, p = 0.00376; R = −0.07, p > 0.05) and those receiving surgical treatment, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy (100% of the group) (Chi<sup>2</sup> = 97.20, p = 0.0000; R = 0.08, p > 0.05). Additionally, a strong correlation was found between difficulties in remembering and health status score (Chi<sup>2</sup> = 34.89, p = 0.00976; R = −0.45, p = 0.0000). The higher health status score is correlated with an absence of difficulties in remembering or only slight difficulties in remembering. Serious and very serious difficulties in remembering were indicated only by the patients with a health status score less than 5. A similar correlation exists with regard to the quality of life score. Patients with the lowest quality of life score did not indicate any considerable or significant problems in remembering. Patients who declared frequent problems in remembering had a lower quality of life score (Chi<sup>2</sup> = 32.30, p = 0.02024; R = −0.26, p = 0.00071). However, no correlation was found between difficulties in remembering and the patients' age (p > 0.05) (**Tables 2** and **3**).
