Health professionals’ insights about prostate cancer risk factors – a focus group study

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) accounts for 20% of new cancer cases and 10.5% of cancer-associated mortality in Portugal. Among the confirmed risk factors are family history, genetic alterations, advanced age, and race/ethnicity. Nonetheless, previous studies also report an important role of lifestyle in this disease.
Goals and Methods: To understand the perceptions of health professionals about the main risk factors of PCa and their experiences among their patients, a qualitative study in the form of focus group (FG) sessions was conducted between February and April 2023, via videoconference. General practitioners and Urologists were invited to participate through a snowball sampling strategy and sessions were recorded for comprehensive analysis.
Results: Twenty-one participants engaged in three FG sessions. Seven themes were addressed in these FG sessions, such as general perception of PCa, perceptions of PCa risk factors, nutrition impact, physical role, alcohol consumption and smoking, sexual activity, and sexually transmitted diseases roles in PCa, and screening/diagnosis and treatment methods. All participants assured that a healthy lifestyle can only bring benefits to PCa outcomes and to a general improvement of quality of life. While the participants did not explicitly identify specific lifestyle factors associated with PCa prevention or promotion, they did highlight lycopene as a potential protective element. Furthermore, participants noted the challenges faced in encouraging lifestyle changes, especially among older adults, since lifestyle is not yet well established as a risk factor for PCa. Additionally, health professionals stressed the importance of further research into non-invasive screening methods, such as biomarkers, and alternative treatment modalities for PCa.
Conclusions: This study underscores the necessity for expanded research efforts to establish a potential link between lifestyle factors and PCa development. These findings provide valuable insights into several dimensions of PCa, with the potential to enhance PCa awareness, prevention strategies, and treatment outcomes.