Prostate cancer is a leading public health concern. Despite advances leading to early detection, the scientific community is at odds as to whether such early detection is beneficial in terms of improved survival and quality of life. Currently available treatment options carry significant side effects such as incontinence, impotence, and impaired bowel functioning. A theoretical basis for guiding decision making from the patient/family perspective is now emerging. This article details the methodological decisions made by one research team in its efforts to examine the prostate cancer treatment selection process as experienced by older couples. Selected findings are presented as they illuminate the process by which couples moved from their individual perspectives of cancer treatment options to one negotiated couple choice.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Adelman, R. D.
, Greene, M. G., & Charon, R. (1987). The physician-elderly patient companion triad in the medical encounter: The development of a conceptual framework and research agenda. The Gerontologist, 27, 729-774.
2.
American Foundation for Urologic Diseases
. (1994). AFUD prostate cancer survey by Gallup poll. Press release. Baltimore: AFUD.
3.
Applegate, W. B.
, & Curb, J. D. (1990). Designing and executing randomized clinical trials involving elderly persons. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 38, 943-950.
4.
Broderick, C. B.
(1993). Understanding family process: Basics of family systems theory,. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
5.
Burr, W. R.
, Leigh, G. K., Day, R. D., & Constatine, J. (1979). Symbolic interaction and the family. In W. R. Burr, R. Hill, F. I. Nye, & I. L. Reiss (Eds.), Contemporary theories about the family (vol. 2, pp. 42-111). New York: Free Press.
6.
Cassileth, B. R.
, Soloway, M. S., Vogelzang, N. J., Schellhammer, P. S., Seidmon, E. J., Hait, H. I., and Kennealey, G. T. (1989). Patients’ choice of treatment in stage D prostate cancer. Urology, 33(5), 57-62.
7.
Charmaz, K.
(1990). “Discovering” chronic illness: Using grounded theory. Social Science & Medicine, 30, 1161-1172.
8.
Ciccirelli, V. G.
(1992). Family caregiving: Autonomous & paternalistic decision making. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
9.
Coley, C. M.
, Barry, M. J., Flemming, C., & Mulley, A. G. (1997). Early detection of prostate cancer. Part 1: Prior probability and effectiveness of tests. Annals of Internal Medicine, 126, 394-406.
10.
Daly, K.
(1992). Parenthood as problematic: Insider interviews with couples seeking to adopt. In J. F. Gilgun, K. Daly, & G. Handel (Eds.), Qualitative methods in family research (pp. 103-125). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
11.
Degner, L. F.
, & Sloan, J. A. (1992). Decision making during serious illness: What role do patients really want to play?Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 45, 941-950.
12.
Derby S. E.
(1991). Ageism in cancer care of the elderly. Oncology Nursing Forum, 18, 921-926.
13.
Germino, B. B.
, & Funk, S. A. (1993). Impact of a parent’s cancer on adult children: Role and relationship issues. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 9, 102-106.
14.
Given, B. A.
, Given, C. W., Helms, E., Stommel, M., & De Voss, D. N. (1997). Determinants of family caregiver reaction. Cancer Practice: A Multidisciplinary Journal of Cancer Care, 5, 17-24.
15.
Greene, M. G.
, Adelman, R., Charon, R., & Hoffman, S. (1986). Ageism in the medical encounter: An exploratory study of the doctor-elderly patient relationship. Communication, 6, 113-124.
16.
Hertz, R.
(1995). Separate but simultaneous interviewing of husbands and wives: Making sense of their stories. Qualitative Inquiry, 1, 429-451.
17.
Hill, W.
& Scanzioni, J. (1982). An approach for assessing marital decision-making processes. Journal of Marriage & the Family, 44, 927-994.
18.
Jaccard, J.
, Brinberg, D., & Dittus, P. (1989). Couple decision-making: Individual and dyadic level analysis. In D. Brinberg & J. Jaccard (Eds.), Dyadic decision making(pp. 81-103). New York: Springer Verlag.
19.
Jackson, D. D.
(1965). Family rules: The marital quid pro quo. Archives of General Psychiatry, 12, 589-594.
20.
Janis, I. L.
, & Mann, L. (1977). Decision making. New York: Free Press.
21.
Kaplan, L.
, Ade-Ridder, Hennon, C. B., Brubaker, E., & Brubaker, T. (1995). Preliminary, typology of couplehood for community dwelling wives: “I” versus “We.”International Journal of and Human Development, 40, 317-337.
22.
Knafl, K. A.
, & Ayres, L. (1996). Managing large qualitative data sets in family research. Journal of Family Nursing, 2(4), 350-364.
23.
Knafl, K. A.
, & Webster, D. (1988). Managing and analyzing qualitative data: A description of tasks, techniques, and materials. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 10, 195-218.
24.
Larossa, R.
, Bennett, L. A., & Gelles, R. J. (1981). Ethical dilemmas in qualitative family research. Journal of Marriage & the Family, 43, 303-313.
25.
Lewis, F. M.
(1992). Psychosocial transitions and the family’s work in adjusting to cancer. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 9, 127-129.
26.
Lewis, F. M.
, & Hammond, M. A. (1992). Psychosocial rehabilitation of the family to breast cancer: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of the American Medical Women’s Association, 47, 194-200.
27.
Lincoln, Y. S.
, & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
28.
Maxwell, J. A.
(1992). Understanding validity in qualitative research. Harvard Educational Review, 62, 279-300.
29.
Mazur, D. J.
, & Merz, J. F. (1995). Older male patients’ willingness to trade off urologic adverse outcomes for a better chance at five-year survival in the clinical setting of prostate cancer. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 43, 979-984.
30.
Miles, A.
, & Huberman, M. (1984). Qualitative data analysis: A sourcebook of new methods. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
31.
Miles, A.
, & Huberman, M. (1994). An expanded sourcebook: Qualitative data analysis (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
32.
Murphy, S. O.
(1992). Using multiple forms of family data: Identifying patterns and meaning in sibling-infant relationships. In J. F. Gilgun, K. Daly, & G. Handel (Eds.), Qualitative methods in family research (pp. 146-171). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
33.
Northouse, L.
(1990). A longitudinal study of the adjustment of patients and husbands to breast cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum, 17, 39-45.
34.
O’Rourke, M. E. (1997). Prostate cancer treatment selection: The family decision process. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
35.
O’Rourke, M. E.
(1999). Narrowing the options: The process of deciding on prostate cancer treatment. Cancer Investigation, 17, 349-359.
36.
O’Rourke, M. E.
, & Germino, B. B. (1998a). Prostate cancer treatment selection: A focus group exploration. Oncology Nursing Forum, 25(1), 97-103.
37.
O’Rourke, M. E.
, & Germino, B. B. (1998b). Spousal caregiving across the prostate cancer trajectory. Quality of Life, 6(5), 66-72.
38.
Pierce, P.
(1993). Deciding on breast cancer treatment: A description of decision behavior. Nursing Research, 42, 22-28.
39.
Safilios-Rothschild, C.
(1969). Family sociology or wives’ family sociology: Across cultural examination of decision making. Journal of Marriage & the Family, 31, 290-301.
40.
Sandelowski, M.
, Davis, D. H., & Harris, B. G. (1989). Artful design: Writing the proposal in the naturalistic paradigm. Research in Nursing & Health, 12, 77-84.
41.
Scanzoni, J.
(1989). Couple decision making in the contemporary sexually based primary relationship. In D. Brinberg & J. Jaccard (Eds.), Dyadic decision making (pp. 251-267). New York: Springer Verlag.
42.
Sillars, A.
, & Kalblesch, P. J. (1989). Implicit and explicit decision-making styles in couples. In D. Brinberg & J. Jaccard (Eds.), Dyadic decision making (pp. 179-201). New York: Springer Verlag.
43.
Sohier, R.
(1995). The dyadic interview as tool for nursing research. Applied Nursing Research, 8, 96-101.
44.
Strauss, A. L.
, & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research. Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
45.
Thompson, L.
, & Walker, A. (1981, October). The dyad as the unit of analysis: Theoretical and methodological issues. Paper presented at the NCFR Pre-Congress Workshop on Theory Construction and Research Methodology, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
46.
Ward, S.
, Heidrich, S., & Wolberg, W. (1989). Factors women take into account when deciding upon type of surgery for breast cancer. Cancer Nursing, 12, 344-351.
47.
Woods, N. F.
, & Lewis, F. (1992). Design and measurement challenges in family research. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 14, 397-403.
48.
Zahlis, E.
, & Shands, M. (1991). Breast cancer: Demands of the illness on the patient’s partner. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 9, 75-93.
