The Forms and Uses of Acquired Prostate Cancer Expertise Among Prostate Cancer Survivors

Sociological Research Online ◽

10.1177/1360780420905840 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 136078042090584

Author(s):

Richard Green

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Support Groups ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

The South ◽

Prostate Cancer Survivors ◽

Cancer Support ◽

Cancer Support Groups ◽

Patient Expertise ◽

Moral Discourses

This article examines men’s prostate cancer experiences through the lens of patient expertise. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 29 men treated for prostate cancer, recruited from two prostate cancer support groups (PCSGs) in the South-East of England. Different forms of expertise, as classified by Collins, were found to be possessed by these men. How these different forms of expertise were acquired, used, and shared with others are explored, and a concept of communal licensing is posited to better understand these activities. The acquisition and usage of these different forms of expertise, through the employment of moral discourses that emphasise responsibility for one’s own health, are found to serve to blur the boundaries between lay person and expert.

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How Prostate Cancer Support Groups Do and Do Not Survive: British Columbian Perspectives

American Journal of Men s Health ◽

10.1177/1557988307304147 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 143-155 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

John L. Oliffe ◽

Michael Halpin ◽

Joan L. Bottorff ◽

T. Gregory Hislop ◽

Michael McKenzie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Support Groups ◽

Group Structure ◽

Fund Raising ◽

Ethnographic Study ◽

Individual Group ◽

The Past ◽

Cancer Support ◽

Cancer Support Groups ◽

Effective Group

Many prostate cancer support groups (PCSGs) have formed in North America during the past decade, yet their operation or factors influencing sustainability are poorly understood. This article reports micro (intragroup), meso (intergroup), and macro (group/structure) analyses drawn from the fieldwork and participant observations conducted for an ethnographic study of PCSGs based in British Columbia, Canada. The findings indicate that effective group leadership is integral to group sustainability and the recruitment and retention of attendees. At the meso level, intergroup connections and communication were often informal; however, the primary purpose of all the PCSGs was to provide information and support to men and their families. Many PCSGs were uncertain how formal associations with cancer fund-raising societies would influence group effectiveness. Macro issues such as prostate cancer activism resided with individual group “champions” through activities coordinated by provincial and national PCSG organizations. However, activism did not guarantee group sustainability. The study findings reveal why some groups flourish while others appear untenable, and form the basis for discussion about how PCSG sustainability might be best achieved.

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The value of prostate cancer support groups: a pilot study of primary physicians’ perspectives

BMC Family Practice ◽

10.1186/1471-2296-15-56 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Bernard M Garrett ◽

John L Oliffe ◽

Joan L Bottorff ◽

Michael McKenzie ◽

Christina S Han ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Support Groups ◽

Cancer Support ◽

Cancer Support Groups ◽

Primary Physicians

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Connecting humor, health, and masculinities at prostate cancer support groups

Psycho-Oncology ◽

10.1002/pon.1415 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 916-926 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

John L. Oliffe ◽

John Ogrodniczuk ◽

Joan L. Bottorff ◽

T. Gregory Hislop ◽

Michael Halpin

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Support Groups ◽

Cancer Support ◽

Cancer Support Groups

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Why Don’t Cancer Survivors Attend Cancer Support Groups in Toronto

Journal of Scientific Research and Reports ◽

10.9734/jsrr/2019/v24i230151 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Tsorng-Yeh Lee ◽

Beryl Pilkington ◽

Grace Ho

Keyword(s):

Cancer Survivors ◽

Support Groups ◽

Support Group ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Normal Person ◽

Care Providers ◽

Cancer Support ◽

Cancer Support Groups ◽

Chinese Cancer Survivors ◽

Depth Interviews

Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death for both men and women in Canada. Professionally or nonprofessionally led support groups have been recognized as a significant source of psychosocial support for cancer survivors. However, the participation rate was low and reasons for leaving a support group were not explored fully. Purpose: To explore the reasons why Chinese cancer survivors left or did not attend a cancer support group in Toronto. Methods: In-depth individual qualitative interviews were conducted. Five Chinese cancer survivors participated in in-depth interviews. Colaizzi’s phenomenological method was used to analyze the interview data. Results: Four themes were extracted from the in-depth interviews: “not fit in”, “not satisfied with the information provided”, “tried to be a normal person”, and “lack reliable transportation and convenient scheduling”. Conclusion: Cancer support groups can improve cancer survivors’ physical and psychosocial outcomes. The services can also help cancer survivors to obtain health related information and connect with professionals and peers. In recognizing the reasons why cancer survivors left support groups, health-care providers need to evaluate and be aware of the needs and difficulties for cancer survivors to attend support groups. They should match cancer survivors with appropriate groups. More language-friendly groups need to be launched, so cancer patients can easily find a suitable one from their neighborhood.

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Erratum to: Heterosexual couples and prostate cancer support groups: a gender relations analysis

Supportive Care in Cancer ◽

10.1007/s00520-015-2600-5 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 1135-1135

Author(s):

John L. Oliffe ◽

Lawrence W. Mróz ◽

Joan L. Bottorff ◽

Debbie E. Braybrook ◽

Amanda Ward ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Support Groups ◽

Gender Relations ◽

Heterosexual Couples ◽

Cancer Support ◽

Cancer Support Groups

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Review of the Nutrition Guidance Irish Healthcare and Charitable Organisations and Cancer Centres provide for Cancer Patients and Cancer Survivors.

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665120001810 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽

Author(s):

Laura Keaver ◽

Leah Walsh ◽

Helen Callaghan ◽

Christine Houlihan

Keyword(s):

Cancer Survivors ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Support Groups ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Nutrition Information ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Cancer Support ◽

Nutritional Guidance ◽

Cancer Support Groups

AbstractBackground: A cancer diagnosis presents a potential teachable moment however, evidence-based information, guidance and support all need to be available in order to capitalise on this. Health care professionals report providing little advice in this area. Previous work has shown that cancer survivors tend to prefer statutory and recognised charitable centres and groups. It is therefore important to determine what nutrition information is available on these websites as otherwise this group may turn to less reliable sources of informationObjective: To determine the availability, quality and readability of nutrition information for cancer patients and survivors from Irish healthcare organisations, cancer charity and support groupsMethods: Organisations were located using three search strategies: 1) We first sought to identify any nutrition information for cancer patients or survivors provided by the Irish Health Service Executive (HSE), 2) To identify suitable organisations the word “cancer” was searched for in the search engine of the Benefacts (official register of charitable organisations) website. The ten largest organisations were included and 3) an additional internet search was conducted using the terms ‘cancer charities Ireland’ and ‘cancer support groups Ireland’. The first two pages of results were assessed. The quality of the nutrition information was determined using the adapted IPDAS tool. Readability testing was carried out on the websites where nutrition information was available usingResults: A total of 32 websites were assessed. Of these only five provided any form of nutrition guidance for cancer patients with three of these five also providing some guidance for cancer survivors. The guidance provided centred on guidelines and lacked practical strategies for their implementation. The quality of the information provided ranged from 19.5–29 out of a maximum of 40. The readability level required to understand the information ranged from 11–17 years of age.Conclusion: There is a need for nutritional guidance to be provided by national health and cancer related organisations and for this information to be specific to the cohort e.g. patient vs survivor. There is also a need for practical strategies to make the translation of guidelines into practice easy for patients and survivors.

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