The emotional impact

Living with prostate cancer can be hard to deal with emotionally as well as physically, and can affect how you feel. In this section we explain some of the common thoughts and feelings you might experience.

If you are feeling down or worried and are finding it hard to deal with things, speak to your GP or specialist team. There are treatments and support available. If you need to speak to someone immediately, ring the Samaritans.

We're there for you too. You can speak to our Specialist Nurses over the phone or speak to a nurse online.

Common thoughts and feelings

Men respond in all kinds of ways to being diagnosed and living with prostate cancer. You may feel a wide range of emotions and they might change very quickly.

Shock, fear or anger. You could feel any or all of these things when you’re told you have prostate cancer.
Denial. If you feel well, you may find it difficult to accept that you have prostate cancer.
Frustration and disappointment. The way you think about yourself, your life and your plans might have changed.
Stress. It can be difficult to decide what treatment to have and you might feel stressed.
Worries about side effects. If you have side effects like erection, urinary and bowel problems, then coping with these could also make you feel down or worried.
Sense of loss. Hormone therapy can cause physical changes to your body, such as putting on weight, reduced physical strength, or changes to your sex life. This might make you feel very different about your body and cause a sense of loss.
Changing identity. Sometimes men say they feel less of a man because of their diagnosis and treatment. Some men feel that their role in the family has changed – for example, because they’ve had to stop working.
Mood swings. Hormone therapy can make you feel emotional and down. It can also cause mood swings, such as getting tearful and then angry.
Anxiety. Some men worry about getting their prostate specific antigen (PSA) test results. The PSA test is used to monitor your cancer if you’re not having treatment straight away or to check how successful treatment has been. Even after treatment has finished some men feel anxious and find it hard to move on and think about the future.
Feeling alone. You might feel isolated, especially if your treatment has finished and you’re no longer seeing your doctor or nurse.

All these are very normal ways to feel. These feelings may stay with you, but some men find they gradually change with time.

Depression – seeing the signs

Many men with prostate cancer feel anxious and worried at times. If you’re feeling very down, your sleep pattern or appetite has changed a lot, or you get angry more easily, this could be a sign of depression. If you notice these changes in yourself, speak to your GP, hospital doctor or nurse – there are things that can help.

Regular physical activity can often help you deal with feelings of anxiety and depression. Learning ways to relax, such as yoga or meditation, might also help.

You can also talk things through with our Specialist Nurses. If you need to speak to someone immediately, ring the Samaritans.

Thinking about the future

It’s natural to find it difficult and upsetting to think about the future – particularly if you have advanced prostate cancer. Many men with advanced cancer will have treatment that will control their cancer for many months or years but it could be a worrying time.

You might find that making plans helps you feel more prepared for what the future may hold, and reassured about the future for your family.

What can help?

Give yourself time. Don’t put yourself under pressure to be positive if that’s not how you feel. There will be good days and bad days – make the most of the days you feel well, and find ways to get through the bad days.

Some men want to find their own way to cope and don’t want help from anyone else. Other men try to cope on their own because they are uncomfortable talking about how they feel or are afraid of worrying loved ones. But there is support available if you need it.

You may find some of the suggestions in our What can I do section helpful.

Help improve our page

We'd like to ask you two questions about our page.

Take our survey

References

Updated: September 2015 | Due for Review: September 2017

List of references
Prostate cancer and your feelings
- Weber BA, Sherwill-Navarro P. Psychosocial consequences of prostate cancer: 30 years of research. Geriatr Nur (Lond) 2005;26(3):166–75.
- Oliffe J. Embodied masculinity and androgen deprivation therapy. Sociol Health Illn 2006;28(4):410–32.
- Seidman SN, Weiser M. Testosterone and mood in aging men. Psychiatr Clin North Am 2013;36(1):177–82.
- Ream E, Quennell A, Fincham L, et al. Supportive care needs of men living with prostate cancer in England: a survey. Br J Cancer 2008;98(12):1903–9.
- Couper JW, Bloch S, Love A, et al. The psychosocial impact of prostate cancer on patients and their partners. Med J Aust 2006;185(8):428.
- Parahoo K, McDonough S, McCaughan E, et al. Psychosocial interventions for men with prostate cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2013;CD008529
- Wilkins D. Untold problems: a review of the essential issues in the mental health of men and boys. Men’s health Forum 2010.
- Mishra SI, Scherer RW, Geigle PM, et al. Exercise interventions on health-related quality of life for cancer survivors. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012;8:CD007566
- Chipperfield K, Brooker J, Fletcher J, Burney S. The impact of physical activity on psychosocial outcomes in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer: A systematic review. Health Psychol 2014;33(11):1288–97.
- Goyal M, Singh S, Sibinga EMS, et al. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern Med 2014;174(3):357–68.
- Chen KW, Berger CC, Manheimer E, et al. Meditative therapies for reducing anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Depress Anxiety 2012;29(7):545–62.
- Ben-Tovim DI, Dougherty ML, Stapleton AM, Pinnock CB. Coping with prostate cancer: a quantitative analysis using a new instrument, the centre for clinical excellence in urological research coping with cancer instrument. Urology 2002;59(3):383–8.