RESTORE: IMPROVING SEXUAL OUTCOMES OF GAY AND BISEXUAL PROSTATE CANCER SURVIVORS
Funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute/ National Institute of Health
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM). Gay sex differs from vaginal sex, physiologically.
There have been no rehabilitation studies specific to GBM survivors of PCa, so clinicians have no relevant studies to inform best practice with their GBM patients. We will conduct the first treatment study of a state of clinical practice comprehensive rehabilitation program on GBM’s quality of life, including on both urinary and sexual function and bother measures. We will study both GBM recently treated (last 2 years) and GBM post-treatment (2+ years), using a stratified design.
We hope to improve the health of GBM survivors of PCa and to provide an evidence base for rehabilitation.
We will conduct a 24 month, randomized controlled trial of structured rehabilitation versus routine care. This RCT will identify whether a structured rehabilitation program is effective in addressing the major sexual and urinary problems caused by PCa treatment. As the first treatment study to focus on GBM with PCa (and also on oral and anal sex), it addresses a long-standing health disparity. The study has high potential to transform rehabilitation for GBM with PCa, provide a critical evidence base for clinicians, and inform rehabilitation outcomes for all PCa survivors.
For more information, please contact Simon Rosser, PhD rosser@umn.edu and Darryl Mitteldorf, LCSW darryl@malecare.org