Introduction and Objectives

Prostate cancer care goes well beyond therapy. Care includes helping patients: 1) understand the disease and its diagnostics, 2) choose treatment protocols, 3) manage side effects and 4) manage diet, exercise and stress. Although peer groups exist in many localities, they are not accessible to most patients. The Answer Cancer Foundation (AnCan) innovated remote, peer-led support groups starting with prostate cancer telephone conferences in 2010 that led to video meetings by 2015. AnCan hosts multiple monthly video support groups for many conditions and situations. It offers personal navigation, national advocacy and educational webinars. Half of its programming addresses prostate cancer. AnCan also includes a group for renal medullary carcinoma, and a bladder cancer group is in development. Our objective was to evaluate whether patient participation in an AnCan video peer-led support group improves prostate patient care.

Methods

In the spring of 2021, a survey questionnaire was sent to 1,178 individuals who had attended an AnCan video peer-led support group. Of those, 238 responded (20.2%). Topics included the experience of attending a group and how the information acquired informed participants treatment; interactions with their medical team; diet, exercise and stress habits; and quality of life (QoL).

Results

Respondents were distributed across the U.S. and Canada. For every question, respondents indicated that participation in an AnCan Video Peer-Led Support Group helped them understand their disease and options, navigate their treatment and improve their QoL. The overwhelming majority said that they felt the groups were welcoming; many made friends through the groups. Information gathered helped participants with their treatment plans and interactions with their medical teams. Many changed patterns of diet, exercise and stress management. A typical response to the survey was: “Wonderful resource, with many helpful ideas and conversations. Ease of participation. It’s made a huge difference in my knowledge and approach.”

Conclusions

The AnCan video peer-led support group model has been shown to increase patient knowledge; impact treatment planning; improve diet, exercise and stress management; and enhance QoL. Our research suggests that this can help optimize physician/patient interactions and visit lengths. We recommend that video peer group attendance, based on the AnCan model, be included in AUA treatment recommendations for prostate cancer.