Understand the current discourse on Prostate Cancer on social media.
More specifically:
We extracted around 1.49M search data points, 200 tweets and 200 Reddit posts within the geography of the US from Mar 2021 to Feb 2023, using curated keywords and hashtags.
Using unsupervised machine learning, our proprietary in-house AI clustered linguistically related inputs into concept clusters. Our team of analysts then interpreted these clusters, teasing out nuanced discourses on the topic.
The discourse were then sized through search - based on our curated keywords. Search data was obtained within a 2-year time period (March 2021 to February 2023).
Finally, from studying the discourses, we picked apart key themes and attitudes, combined data points with other relevant information surfaced during our research, and synthesized the findings into this report.
Treatment Decisions
Challenges in deciding the right treatment with best outcomes and minimal side effects.
PC Awareness & Information
Lack of awareness and information around prostate cancer, need for check ups and tests available.
Prostatectomy hesitancy
Fears and concerns surrounding prostatectomy and its after effects.
ADT - Loss in Quality of Life vs. Benefits
For many, the loss in quality of life outweigh the benefits of androgen deprivation therapy.
New & Emerging Treatments
Considering new and more aggressive treatment options over surgery and standard treatments.
High Cost of Treatment & Care
Considering new and more aggressive treatment options over surgery and standard treatments
High Cost of Treatment & Care
Feeling burdened by high costs and the need for better financial assistance for treatment and drugs.
Lifestyle Changes
Make lifestyle changes with diets, exercise and supplements to combat side effects of treatment and avoid recurrence of cancer.
The most dominant searches and conversations associated with prostate cancer are around the various treatment options available and challenges in deciding the optimum treatment plan. At the same time lack of general awareness drives many to look for general information around prostate cancer.
High cost of treatment and the potential risks and side effects involved are emerging conversations as patients weigh the potential loss in quality of life against the benefits of treatments like ADT.With hesitancy towards surgical options, patients are also exploring new and emerging treatments as well as make conscious lifestyle changes to increase their chances of better outcomes and survival.
With treatment options ranging from surgery and radiation to ADT (hormone therapy) or even a combination of these, the decision making process for patients is overwhelming and difficult as each approach has its own set of risks and benefits.Furthermore, patients don’t not know who to listen to or how to decide between the treatments offered by different specialists such as urologists, oncologists or radiologists - as treatments suggested by each is often different and based on their area of expertise. At the same time, in early stage or non aggressive cancers, patients want to explore less invasive options or active surveillance to avoid any unpleasant side effects. Ultimately, this makes it challenging for patients to find the optimal treatment option that works best for them.To gain more insight into deciding the best treatment option for themselves, patients often turn to online forums to share their pathology and test results in order to hear about other people’s first-hand experiences with different approaches and their results.
Despite being the most common cancer among men, there is still a lack of awareness and reliable information around prostate cancer. In fact many have raised concerns around the lack of educational campaigns around prostate cancer when in fact greater efforts are made for breast cancer. As a result, many are still unaware of the right age to start getting regular prostate check-ups, how these check ups are done or what psa tests are. Many are also reluctant to get regular prostate check ups as they feel embarrassed with the intimate nature of physical prostate checks.Inaccess to easy and reliable information about the warning signs and early symptoms of prostate cancer often leads to delayed diagnosis and poorer outcomes. Some patients believe that they could have managed the disease better with active surveillance instead of aggressive treatments had they been more aware and educated about the disease prior to diagnosis.
High reluctance as a result of fears and concerns surrounding the after effects of prostate removal, make prostatectomy the last option for many patients. Many also feel that doctors are pushing them into surgery too quickly without giving less aggressive options a consideration.
Furthermore, a prostatectomy comes with some adverse after effects such as impotence, erectile dysfunction and incontinence, which understandably makes many men feel that it marks the end of their manhood. In many cases, even if surgery is successful it is likely that they will need, hormone therapy (ADT) and radiation treatments afterwards. Some patients also feel the need to undergo corrective treatments to address problems like erectile dysfunction.
For all these reasons, many prostate cancer patients are hesitant to undergo prostatectomy, despite its potential life-saving benefits.
Many patients who have undergone androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer regret their decision due to the numerous side effects that can drastically reduce their quality of life. These include impotence, urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, fecal incontinence, bone loss, and in some cases spread of cancer to surrounding areas such as bladder and rectum. Patients often feel that these risks outweigh the potential benefits of the treatment.
The psychological and emotional impact is also immense, with men feeling less masculine, fatigued and depressed due to the physical changes caused by ADT. Also referred to as chemical castration, the inability to experience sexual pleasure weighs heavy, affecting their relationships and family life.Ultimately, the prospect of having a shorter but better quality of life weighs heavily on the minds of many individuals considering ADT.
Ultimately, the prospect of having a shorter but better quality of life weighs heavily on the minds of many individuals considering ADT.
Patients with advanced prostate cancer are now considering new and more aggressive treatments that offer them hope of better outcomes while avoiding some of the typical side effects associated with standard treatments.Triplet therapy, proton therapy, and Pluvicto (Lutetium 177) are some of the newer treatments giving patients with advanced stages of prostate cancer with improved chances of survival.Triplet therapy combines chemotherapy (docetaxel), ADT and hormone therapy (Zytiga/abiraterone) has proved to be effective in treating metastatic forms of the disease. Proton therapy, a localised form of radiation promises minimal side effects, and is covered by Medicare in some states, has anecdotal evidence of great results with less side effects. Pluvicto (Lutetium 177) is an additional form of treatment for those who have become resistant to both chemotherapy and hormone therapies.
Patients suffering from prostate cancer often feel burdened by the high costs of tests, treatments and drugs, especially when it comes to antiandrogen drugs like apalutamide. This financial burden is further complicated by insurance companies or medicare that provide only basic coverage or bare minimum care which leaves patients with no other choice than to pay out of pocket for additional tests and drugs they may need. Compounding this issue is the fact that many patients feel hustled by doctors, who they believe, are driven more by financial interests rather than what is best for the patient, into treatments they don’t necessarily need at the moment.As a result, many evaluate their treatment options based on cost or medicare coverage instead of what is medically necessary, leading to perceptions around a medical ecosystem where financial interests take precedence over patient interest.
Prostate cancer patients often choose to make lifestyle changes in order to manage their lives better and cope with the side effects of treatments such as Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT). These changes include going vegan or making more conscious decisions around their diet, taking supplements that boost prostate health, taking melatonin to sleep better and taking Vitamin D to maintain bone health. They also engage in various forms of exercise such as core, cardio, and kegels to maintain muscle mass, reverse side effects like urine and fecal incontinence and boost overall health. Many patients have voiced that exercising has played a big role in how they manage the side effects of many ADT drugs and that focusing on keeping fit could potentially improve their quality of life and reduce their risk of recurrence.
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