Prostate Cancer-Related Quality of Life Scales (PC-QOL)

Author of Tool: 

Jack A. Clark

Key references: 

Bokhour, J., Clark, J., Inui, T., Silliman, R., Talcott, J. (2001). Sexuality after treatment for early prostate cancer: exploring the meanings of “erectile dysfunction.” Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16, 649-655.

Clark, J., Bokhour, B., Inui, T., Silliman, R., Talcott, J. (2003). Measuring patients’ perceptions of the outcomes of treatment for early prostate cancer. Medical Care, 41, 923-936.

Clark, J., Inui, T., Silliman, R., Bokhour, B., Krasnow, S., Robinson, R., Spaulding, M., Talcott, J. (2003). Patients’ perceptions of quality of life after treatment for early prostate cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 21, 3777-3784.

Clark, J., Talcott, J. (2006). Confidence and uncertainty long after initial treatment for early prostate cancer: survivors’ views of cancer control and the treatment decisions they made. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 24, 4457-4463.

Talcott, J., Rossi, C., Shipley, W., Clark, J., Slater, J., Niemierko, A., Zietman, A. (2010). Patient-reported long-term outcomes after conventional and high-dose combined proton and photon radiation for early prostate cancer. JAMA, 303, 1046-1053.

Primary use / Purpose: 

The Prostate Cancer-Related Quality of Life Scales (PC-QOL) are a collection of 11 brief inventories relating to prostate cancer and quality of life. Each individual scale contains between 2 and 8 items and is rated on a 5 point Likert scale. The purpose of each is the same; to measure quality of life in key areas affected by having prostate cancer.

Background: 

The treatment of prostate cancer is not very successful, and those who do receive treatment often experience a number of uncomfortable physical and psychological symptoms. For this reason, patients’ quality of life and their perception of treatment outcomes are very important. The Prostate Cancer-Related Quality of Life Scales (PC-QOL) all measure under the following domains:
1). Urinary Control
2) Sexual Intimacy
3) Sexual Confidence
4) Masculine Self-Esteem
5) Marital Affection
6) Health Worry
7) PSA Concern
8) Cancer Control
9) Informed Decision
10) Regret
11) Outlook

Psychometrics: 

The psychometric properties of the scales listed are discussed in the citations listed in the ‘Key References’.

Keywords: 

• Anxiety
• Family

Files: 

protate_cancer_related_quality_of_life_scales.doc

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 

https://dx.doi.org/10.13072/midss.383