Spirituality and Prostate Cancer

Spirituality functioned as a positive coping mechanism and has improved the quality of life and the health of individuals suffering from prostate cancer. It helped the patients to get more screening for prostate cancer, thus improving their quality of life.

The study was published in the Journal of Religion and Health.

Prostate cancer can pose significant physical and mental implications due to the unpredictability of the disease. While spirituality may improve quality of life during these times of uncertainty, access to spiritual treatment for prostate cancer patients is frequently more challenging than for other types of disease. Hence, researchers from the present study sought to review the impact of spirituality on men who have prostate cancer and its possible integration into the overall treatment plan.

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Nearly 250 records were identified from various databases, of which 30 (n=13 cross-sectional) studies were included from inception to August 2021. Studies that evaluated the association between prostate cancer and spirituality in patients or their families and caregivers were only included. Any study that did not discuss the clear link between spirituality and prostate cancer was excluded. The review was performed using PRISMA guidelines. The primary outcome was the impact of spirituality on various health outcomes in prostate cancer patients.

Results:

• There was an overall positive effect of spirituality on various mental health outcomes in prostate cancer patients, including coping with the prognosis, decreasing adverse mental health outcomes, and increasing union with family.
• A positive association was found between spirituality with increased prostate cancer screening and improved patient quality of life.
• More than 90% of prostate cancer survivors believed that prayer could help them in their fight against prostate cancer.

Despite these findings, the study was constrained by the fact that the majority of included studies were done in developed nations, which may have hampered generalizability. Nonetheless, the current study emphasized the significance of spirituality in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Further reading: Neves, N.M., Queiroz, L.A., Cuck, G. et al. Prostate Cancer and Spirituality: A Systematic Review. J Relig Health (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01845-0