Prostate Cancer (update of QLQ-PR25)

To assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in individuals with prostate cancer (PCa), the EORTC has had a PCa module (QLQ-PR25) since 1996, which was validated in 2008. This module is now over 25 years old and does not fully reflect new treatment modalities and it associated toxicities, particularly in the context of advanced PCa, where a lot of new treatments have been introduced. To capture all relevant HRQoL issues across the entire PCa continuum, and to increase the utilization of the EORTC QLQ-PR25 module in the advanced PCa population, it is necessary to update the module. This update involves evaluating which HRQoL issues are currently missing in the module and identifying which issues are no longer relevant.

The current project aims to update the EORTC QLQ-PR25 through literature reviews and interviews with patient and healthcare providers, defined as phase 1 and 2. The results of the project will be a HRQoL item list, ready to be tested in phase 3 (pretesting the new version of the module), before conducting a subsequent cross-cultural validation study (phase 4).

We are currently working on the study protocol and the preparation to start the literature reviews as part of phase I.

Current status:

Preparation of phase 1.

Finalizing literature reviews by fall 2025.

Preparation of phase 2, including Ethical Committee approvals, by fall 2025.

For further information about the study, please contact the project coordinator:

Renee Bultijnck – Renee.bultijnck@ugent.be

Prostate cancer and its treatments can negatively affect a patient’s quality of life. To better understand and improve how treatments impact well-being, it’s important to measure this aspect accurately. Over the past decade, prostate cancer treatments have advanced, and the current questionnaire used to assess patients’ quality of life needs updating to reflect these changes. Additionally, the current questionnaire is less applicable in the more advanced stages of the disease. This update will help ensure that all important factors affecting men’s health and well-being, especially those with advanced prostate cancer, are properly captured. The goal is to revise the current questionnaire, so it remains relevant and useful, allowing doctors and researchers to gain a clearer understanding of how prostate cancer and its treatments affect patients’ everyday lives.