RATIONALE: Gathering information about prostate cancer, treatment, and quality of life from gay men with prostate cancer may help doctors plan the best treatment.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is collecting information about health-related quality of life from gay men with localized prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

• To enroll 200 gay men with localized prostate cancer in a cross-sectional study of prostate cancer outcomes.
• To complete an R01 application using pilot data collected from these patients.
• To complete manuscripts describing the factors that influence quality of life and treatment satisfaction in these patients.

OUTLINE: Patients complete a web-based survey about their disease (biopsy Gleason score, PSA at diagnosis, and T-stage), treatment (treatment type, time since treatment, and use of healthcare services [e.g., oral medications for erectile dysfunction]), symptom distress, and psychosocial factors (ethnicity, health literacy, level of social support, communication with provider, relationship status, and communication with partner) that affect their health-related quality of life. The data will be used to provide the information necessary to tailor an existing prostate cancer survivorship intervention to address the specific needs of gay men with prostate cancer.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of localized prostate cancer

  • No advanced disease

• Self-identified as gay

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Able to complete an online questionnaire
• Able to speak and understand English

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Not specified

Convenience sample contacted via Internet