Exploring penile cancer survivors' motivations and experiences of attending a support group: eUROGEN study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore men's motivations and experiences of attending a penile cancer support group and critically analyse whether participating in the support group has an impact on their psychological well-being. Eleven men attended a focus group facilitated by a cancer nurse specialist and a group facilitator. This was held in the hospital in the same setting as the monthly support group meeting. Written consent was gained. On the day an open question was asked to identify what motivates the men to attend the support group. The results were recorded using a digital audio recording device and then transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was then utilised to identify common themes. Six themes were identified as to why these men attended the penile cancer support group on a regular basis: making friendships, supporting others, sharing experiences, peer support, receiving information and raising awareness. Face to face support groups have shown to be a mode of delivering support to men who have been diagnosed and treated for this rare disease. These findings suggest that meeting men with a similar condition and sharing experiences of living with the disease were important to the men participating in this study.