Spirituality may benefit patients with a diagnosis of prostate cancer

1. In this systematic review, most articles reported a positive association between spirituality and better health outcomes in prostate cancer patients.

2. In addition, more than 90% of prostate cancer survivors believed that prayer could help their fight against prostate cancer.

Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent)

Prostate cancer may have significant physical and mental consequences due in part to the unpredictability of the disease. Spirituality may improve quality of life during these periods of uncertainty; however, access to spiritual care for prostate cancer patients is often more difficult compared to other forms of cancer. As a result, the objective of the present study was to review the impact of spirituality on men who have prostate cancer and its possible integration into the overall treatment plan.

Of 250 identified records, 30 (n=13 cross-sectional) studies were included from various databases from inception to August 2021. Studies were included if they evaluated the association between prostate cancer and spirituality in patients or their families and caregivers. Studies were excluded if there wasn’t a clear link between spirituality and prostate cancer. The review was performed using PRISMA guidelines. The primary outcome was the impact of spirituality on various health outcomes in prostate cancer patients.

The results demonstrated that overall there was a positive effect of spirituality on various mental health outcomes in prostate cancer patients, including coping with the prognosis, decreasing adverse mental health outcomes, and increasing union with family. Furthermore, spirituality was positively associated with increased prostate cancer screening and improved patient quality of life. In addition, more than 90% of prostate cancer survivors believed that prayer could help them in their fight against prostate cancer. Despite these results, the study was limited by the fact that most included studies were conducted in developed countries, which may have affected the generalizability of the results. Nonetheless, the present study highlighted the importance of spirituality in the management of prostate cancer.

Click to read the study in Journal of Religion and Health

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