Men’s experiences of surviving testicular cancer: An integrated literature review

Purpose. To synthesize literature in order to elucidate the experiences of men who have survived testicular cancer and determine their quality of life following treatment. Methods. An integrated review sought appropriate literature by utilising a keyword search across seven databases. Retrieved studies were appraised for quality, with two qualitative, twelve quantitative, and two mixed method studies deemed appropriate for this review. The data were extracted and aggregated into categories by way of a thematic analysis. The themes were: personal challenges and impact on health, psychological and emotive challenges, perception of reproduction and sexual changes, and outlook and support. Results. Men experienced physical, emotional, and sexual difficulties. Some men believed they were infertile, despite evidence that fertility is not compromised in the long term. Psychological conditions can be exacerbated by cultural pressures to conceive and cultural expressions about male identity. Men who had undergone orchidectomy reported minimal impact on their mental health than the men who had chemotherapy or radiotherapy as part of their treatment modality.  Sexual dysfunction caused by chemotherapy-associated side effects was detrimental to men’s quality of life. In addition, men who had a partner, who were employed, and who had children were able to adjust better after treatment than those who did not. Provision of clear and honest information post-treatment helped testicular cancer survivors return to their normal lives. Conclusions. The evidence from the review suggests that the burden of disease for testicular cancer survivors is overall low. Men who had surgical intervention and were treated for testicular cancer experienced minimal impact on their mental health status than the men who had chemotherapy or radiotherapy as part of their treatment modality. Implications for Cancer Survivors. There is a need to provide appropriate referrals to the relevant services, including psychosocial support, and the development of more adequate communication resources for men following treatment for testicular cancer

An integrative review exploring black men of African and Caribbean backgrounds, their fears of prostate cancer and their attitudes towards screening

Evidence suggests that black men are disproportionately more affected than any other ethnicity by prostate cancer. The aim of this review is to identify studies exploring black men of African and Caribbean descent, their fears of prostate cancer and their attitudes towards screening. Four databases were searched and reference lists of relevant papers were hand searched. The inclusion criteria were studies exploring attitudes towards screening and fear of prostate cancer in black men of African and Caribbean backgrounds, peer reviewed research, qualitative studies, surveys, questionnaires and English language publications. Qualitative findings were synthesised using a thematic framework to which quantitative findings were integrated. Of the sixteen papers, ten were quantitative and six were qualitative, all of which were conducted in the United States of America. Poorer and less educated black men were reluctant to seek help for prostate cancer. They may not visit their doctors for fear of intrusion into their personal lives. Moreover, they were fearful of being emasculated as a result of the digital rectal examination. The review identifies a paucity of UK literature on black men’s fears and perceptions of prostate cancer. Further studies are needed in the UK to address this gap in the literature

The experiences of gay and bisexual men post-prostate cancer treatment: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

Studies suggest that gay and bisexual men are affected by the psychological aspects of prostate cancer treatment differently than that of heterosexual men, however the data have not yet been synthesized. The focus of this meta-synthesis is to explore gay and bisexual men’s experiences of prostate cancer post-treatment. Empirical research published in peer reviewed journals between January 1990 and January 2018 were identified in six databases: CINAHL, Cochrane, Medline, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science. Titles and abstracts were checked by two reviewers. The six studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected and reviewed for quality and the extracted data were then synthesized. The main themes that emerged were sexual impact, physical and psychological difficulties, challenges to intimacy, and support mechanisms. Gay and bisexual men can have specific sexual roles and developing prostate cancer and undergoing treatment may compromise their ability to perform their sexual role. The needs of heterosexual men were perceived to be accommodated more often than that of gay and bisexual men because of engrained heteronormativity in the healthcare system. The review suggests that more support groups specifically for gay and bisexual men should be established, whilst urologists should cater to the sexual and masculine implications of treatment, and not frame problems for gay and bisexual men in heterosexual terms. By failing to address the salient needs and concerns of gay and bisexual men, healthcare professionals are reinforcing invisibility and marginalisation of gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer

Factors that may influence black men and their partners’ knowledge and awareness of prostate cancer screening: a literature review

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the UK, with 46 690 new cases in 2014. While there is sufficient research on this topic in the USA, there is no review in the UK regarding both black men and their significant others' perspective on prostate cancer screening. Aim: To identify and explore factors that may influence black men and their significant others' knowledge and awareness of prostate cancer screening. Method: A literature search revealed seven relevant articles. Results: Six of the seven articles were conducted in the USA. The results are described using four themes: perception of prostate cancer screening, fear, anxiety and discomfort, misinformation about prostate cancer screening procedures and communication and decision-making. Conclusion: The evidence suggests that some black men and their significant others had knowledge and awareness of prostate cancer screening. However, their views were influenced by misperceptions, misinformation, fear and anxiety around screening procedures and mortality. Communication and spousal support were important in decision making

Synthesizing qualitative studies exploring gay and bisexual men’s experiences of prostate cancer

Literature reviews are ideal for summarizing and understanding all the available data about a particular topic. Researchers must find and analyze all the current knowledge on a subject if they are to present a succinct review. A meta-synthesis consists of a literature review of qualitative studies only. The extracted data are then synthetized into a narrative where the current knowledge on a topic can then be evaluated. Research of a qualitative nature is useful for obtaining the thoughts and feelings of a particular population and can provide crucial insights into their ontological perspectives. A meta-synthesis process can be a viable approach to deepening our understanding of a distinct body of qualitative research. This case study will provide an overview into how a review of qualitative studies was conducted on a particular health care issue and will explain the process undertaken by the researchers. The study will explain how the search strategy was conceived, how the data were synthesized, and the value a meta-synthesis can add to the body of existing literature