Assessment of Quality of Life and its Predictors in Prostate Cancer Patients

Introduction. Improving quality of life (QoL) has become an objective equal in importance to prolonging survival in prostate cancer (PC). The objective of this work was to review the latest scientific studies assessing the QOL of patients with PC both before and after treatment. The search for scientific studies was conducted using leading international databases (PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science). Material and methods. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science (2010 – 2025) was performed using the terms “prostate cancer”, “quality of life”, “postoperative outcomes”, “predictors”. 17 original studies were included. The list of questionnaires used included EPIC-26/CP, EORTC QLQ-C30/PR25, FACT-P, PROMIS and FoP-Q-SF. Results. Adverse clinicopathological predictors of poor QoL included age ≥ 65 years, multimorbidity, Gleason score ≥ 8 and prior TURP. Anatomic MRI-derived markers (short membranous urethra < 10 mm, prolonged pubic–apex length) reliably forecasted long-term incontinence and erectile dysfunction after robot-assisted prostatectomy. Psychosocial factors—fatigue, fear of cancer recurrence and insomnia–made a comparable impact: severe fatigue increased the odds of poor physical health, while high fear of recurrence reduced global QLQ-C30 scores by ≥ 10 points. High socioeconomic status and robust family support mitigate QoL deterioration by approximately 30 %. Radical treatments (prostatectomy, external-beam radiotherapy, androgen-deprivation therapy) produced persistent functional impairment yet did not worsen mental well-being when active rehabilitation programs were implemented. Conclusion. QoL in men with PC is shaped by a multifactorial interplay of clinical, anatomical and psychosocial predictors; integrating routine PROM screening with MRI-based nomograms and targeted psychosocial support enables truly personalized care.

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