Ames, S.C., Tan, W.W., Ames, G.E., Stone, R.L., Rizzo, T.D., Jr., Crook, J.E., . . . Rummans, T.A. (2011). A pilot investigation of a multidisciplinary quality of life intervention for men with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. Psycho-Oncology, 20, 435–440.

To evaluate the acceptability and estimate the effect size of a multidisciplinary quality-of-life intervention for men with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer

The intervention involved eight multidisciplinary group sessions consisting of education, goal setting, relaxation training, problem solving, social support, physical activity, and mood management.

• The sample was comprised of 57 men diagnosed with prostate cancer with biochemical recurrence.
• Median age of sample was 76 years.
• Men had prostate-specific antigen only recurrence post surgery or radiation without clinical or x-ray evidence of metastases.
• The sample was 89% white, 10% black, and 1% other.
• Thirty-nine percent had graduated college.

• Outpatient clinic
• Florida

Biochemical relapse phase

A randomized controlled trial design was used.

• Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Prostate (47-item measure of prostate-specific quality of life)
• Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer (18 items)
• Perceived Stress Scale–10 (10 items)
• Profile of Mood States–Brief (30 items)

• No difference was reported between groups.
• Intervention effect size was 0.45 at the end of treatment.

The results did not provide strong support for a meaningful effect of the intervention provided here on anxiety or quality of life in patients with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. Findings suggest that this type of intervention is acceptable to the patient population, since there was a high rate of attendance.

• No data or statistical analysis were reported to determine between group differences.
• The study had no appropriate attentional control.

Given the lack of durability, the intense, multidisciplinary nature of this intervention may not be the best use of limited resources. Further, such a multidisciplinary intervention may be difficult to replicate in the community setting.