Experiences and management of uncertainty following treatment for prostate cancer

Abstract

This article explores men’s experiences and management of uncertainty following treatment for prostate cancer. Qualitative interviews with 29 men, recruited from two prostate cancer support groups (PCSGs) in the Southeast of England, explored prostate cancer and post-treatment experiences of uncertainty. Data were analysed thematically using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Four common uncertainties were identified: (1) fear of cancer recurrence from continued biomedical monitoring following treatment; (2) fear of cancer recurrence from unexplained bodily symptoms; (3) concerns about post-treatment side effects; and (4) concern with having made the ‘right’ treatment choice. Three strategies for how men managed these uncertainties were also identified: (1) interpreting biomedical knowledge; (2) planning for future uncertain events; and (3) engaging with support groups that served as vigilance networks. Nuanced strategies of vigilance are identified, of reinterpreted pasts and imagined futures to manage uncertainties. These strategies temporally displace the uncertain present and are employed individually and communally as part of vigilance networks. This article adds to theoretical resources for understanding uncertainty management and evidences the chronicity of men’s post-treatment experiences of prostate cancer.