Mayo Clinic recruiting men with prostate cancer for second phase of quality-of-life study

Monday, February 13, 2006

Mayo Clinic is conducting a research study to improve the quality of life of men who have prostate cancer with rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.

Although survival rates for men with localized prostate cancer are high, past research has shown that many prostate cancer survivors experience clinically significant increases in stress and decreases in their quality of life.

Steven Ames, Ph.D., is the principal investigator of the three-year, $225,000 research study funded by the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The goal of the study is to evaluate the needs of this group of men and to develop a new intervention designed to improve their quality of life.

"While the focus of the medical community generally lies in managing the physical disease," Ames says, "there are psychological and emotional aspects that oftentimes get overlooked."

In the first phase of the research study, Ames and his colleagues identified issues that negatively impacted prostate cancer patients' quality of life. In this second phase, they will evaluate the intervention program for its effectiveness. Areas to address include diet, exercise, mood management, social relationships and medical issues pertaining to prostate cancer.

Men participating in this research study must be free from cancer in other areas of their body. In addition, they must be willing to attend eight weekly visits, then four return visits over six months. They also must be comfortable in a group setting. Participating is free of charge, and men will receive payment for participating. Those who would like to volunteer or receive further information about the study may call the Clinical Studies Unit at Mayo Clinic at (904) 953-2941.

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Mayo Clinic is the world's first and largest integrated group practice. The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center is the only multi-site NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. The Jacksonville, Fla., campus has more than 320 physicians, surgeons, and scientists who specialize in more than 40 areas. Patients who need hospitalization are admitted to St. Luke's Hospital. However, construction is underway for a 214-bed hospital on the Mayo Clinic campus, which opened in 1986. Visit www.mayoclinic.org/news for more news about Mayo Clinic.

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