Introduction:

Men diagnosed with prostate cancer (PC) face treatment-related sequelae that affect their health and quality of life. The Prostate Cancer Supportive Care (PCSC) Program at the Vancouver Prostate Centre is a clinical, educational, and research-based program for men and their family members. It addresses prostate cancer-specific challenges such as erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence and offers a proactive approach to lifestyle changes in diet and exercise. Currently, the program includes educational sessions and/or clinics on the following topics: Introduction to PC and primary treatment options, sexual health and intimacy, exercise, nutrition, management of androgen deprivation therapy related side effects, pelvic floor physiotherapy for bladder and bowel concerns, counseling, and advanced disease management.

Methods:

We describe the development and evolution of PCSC's prostate cancer-focused approach over the last eight years. 

Results:

The PCSC Program was created in 2013 with funding from the Doctors of BC. A Medical Director and Program Manager oversee the day-to-day operations. Clinicians include a sexual health RN (0.8 FTE), subspecialized sexual health urologist, pelvic floor physiotherapist, dietitian, exercise physiotherapist, ARNP, and counselor (all 0.2 FTE). As of 06/2022, 2954 patients have registered for this no-cost program. Patients choose sessions relevant to areas of interest or need (Table 1). Education sessions and clinics have transitioned from in-person to hybrid (Table 1). The PCSC website offers educational video recordings, patient handouts, and other resources. We enter data, including validated PROs, for all patients into a database. CSQ8 questionnaires indicate high patient satisfaction. PCSC also participates in clinical research and has published 14 papers in peer-review journals. Current funding for the PCSC Program is from a grant from the BC Ministry of Health, research grants and contracts, and philanthropic donations.

Conclusion:

PCSC is a unique survivorship program in that it is prostate cancer-focused. Over the last eight years, the program has continued to grow in terms of annual participants and the scope of offerings. In addition, the transition from in-person-only clinics and educational sessions to virtual platforms, which had started just before the COVID pandemic and was completed three months in to the pandemic, allowed the PCSC clinical services to reach PC patients and family members throughout British Columbia (BC). Our live virtual educational sessions are now available to anyone with internet access across the globe. This disease-specific approach has been a success and is an alternative to survivorship programs that attempt to service all cancer types. 

Funding: N/A