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Observational Study
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World J Psychiatry. Dec 19, 2025; 15(12): 110915
Published online Dec 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i12.110915
Effect of radical prostatectomy on anxiety, depression, and quality of life in patients diagnosed with prostate cancer
Peng-Liang Shen, Zhuo-Lun Tian, Ning Liu, Bo Wu, Xiao-Ting Yan, Xiao-Ming Cao, Su-Fang Qin
Peng-Liang Shen, Bo Wu, Xiao-Ting Yan, Xiao-Ming Cao, Su-Fang Qin, Department of Urology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi Province, China
Zhuo-Lun Tian, Department of Clinical Medicine, Kangda College of Nanjing Medical University, Lianyungang 222000, Jiangsu Province, China
Ning Liu, Department of Psychiatry, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi Province, China
Author contributions: Shen PL, Tian ZL, Liu N, Wu B, Yan XT, Cao XM, and Qin SF performed the research; Shen PL designed the research study; Shen PL and Tian ZL collected and analyzed the data; Liu N and Wu B have been involved in drafting the manuscript. All authors have been involved in revising it critically for important intellectual content, gave final approval of the version to be published, they have participated sufficiently in the work to take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to its accuracy or integrity.
Supported by Shanxi Provincial Higher Education Institutions Scientific and Technological Innovation Program, No. 2024083; Science and Technology Achievements Promotion Program of Shanxi Provincial Health Commission, No. 2024069; and Academy General Program of First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. YY2209.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University (No. KYLL-2024-100).
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Su-Fang Qin, Department of Urology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. 85 Jiefang South Road, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi Province, China. shenpl409@126.com
Received: July 1, 2025
Revised: July 28, 2025
Accepted: September 24, 2025
Published online: December 19, 2025
Processing time: 149 Days and 1.3 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer is common among men, and radical surgery is the primary treatment. Surgery, however, can affect both physical and mental health, including anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QoL).

AIM

To assess the effect of radical prostatectomy on psychological status and QoL in patients with prostate cancer.

METHODS

This observational study included 102 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy between June 2024 and April 2025. Pain (numerical rating scale), Hamilton Anxiety Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, and QoL (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 and short-form 36) were evaluated before and after surgery.

RESULTS

At one month postoperatively, the mean European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 score increased significantly from 60.72 ± 5.37 preoperatively to 86.48 ± 7.52 (P < 0.001), indicating marked improvement in overall QoL. Psychological assessments revealed significant reductions in anxiety and depression: The mean Hamilton Anxiety Scale score decreased from 23.36 ± 5.15 preoperatively to 12.15 ± 4.36 (P < 0.001), and the mean Hamilton Depression Scale score declined from 22.61 ± 5.02 to 13.83 ± 4.54 (P < 0.001). Pain levels, as measured by the numerical rating scale, decreased significantly from 7.68 ± 2.17 preoperatively to 2.67 ± 0.72 (P < 0.001). Additionally, the urinary incontinence rate dropped from 20.59% (21/102) preoperatively to 11.76% (12/102) (P < 0.05), showing a statistically significant reduction.

CONCLUSION

Radical prostatectomy improves psychological health and the QoL of patients with prostate cancer. These results may help to inform future therapies.

Keywords: Quality of life; Anxiety; Radical prostatectomy; Depression; European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30; Prostate cancer; Short-form 36; Hamilton Anxiety Scale; Hamilton Depression Scale

Core Tip: This observational study evaluated the impact of radical prostatectomy on psychological status and quality of life (QoL) in 102 prostate cancer patients. Using pre- and one-month postoperative assessments (numerical rating scale pain, Hamilton Anxiety, Hamilton Depression, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30, and short-form 36 questionnaires), results showed statistically significant (P < 0.05) improvements in QoL scores alongside significant reductions in pain, anxiety, and depression. The study concludes that radical prostatectomy significantly enhances psychological well-being and QoL one month post-surgery, providing valuable insights for therapeutic considerations.