Motivations and experiences of high-risk men in risk-adapted prostate cancer early detection: A qualitative study

Aug 30, 2026

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Men with a family history of prostate cancer or a pathogenic germline variant face elevated risk, yet structured early-detection pathways and affected men’s lived experiences remain insufficiently understood. This qualitative study examined why high-risk men attend a risk-adapted prevention clinic, which clinic elements they find helpful, and how early-detection services can be tailored. Semi-structured interviews (13 participants) were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify key motivators and perceptions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Objective

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Motivations and experiences of high-risk men in risk-adapted prostate cancer early detection: A qualitative study Maike K. Klett, Ilayda Balkan, Jale Lakes, Peter Albers, Kati Hiltrop, Jannika Rother, Matthias Boschheidgen, Gerald Antoch, Silke Redler, Dagmar Wieczorek, Tanja Fehm, Bernadette Anna Sophia Jaeger, Ulrike Dinger, André Karger Article-Version of Record Suggested Citation: Klett, Maike, Balkan, I. , Lakes, J. , Albers, P. , Hiltrop, K. , Rother, J. , Boschheidgen, M. , Antoch, G. , Redler, S. , Wieczorek, D. , Fehm, T. , Jäger, B. A. S. , Dinger, U. , & Karger, A. (2026) . Motivations and experiences of high-risk men in risk-adapted prostate cancer early detection: A qualitative study. Patient Education and Counseling, 149, Article 109593 . [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2026.109593](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2026.109593) Wissen, wo das Wissen ist. This version is available at: URN: [https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hbz:061-20260429-1](https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hbz:061-20260429-1)15528-2 Terms of Use: This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4 .0 International License. For more information see: [https://creativecommons.org/l](https://creativecommons.org/l)icenses/by/4 .0 Patient Education and Counseling 149 (2026) 109593 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Patient Education and Counseling journal [homepage:](homepage: www.journals.elsevier.com/patient-education-and-counseling)[ www.journals.elsevier.com/patient-education-and-counseling](homepage: www.journals.elsevier.com/patient-education-and-counseling) Motivations and experiences of high-risk men in risk-adapted prostate cancer early detection: A qualitative study Maike K. Klett a,b,*,1 , Ilayda Balkan a, Jale Lakes b,c, Peter Albers b,c,d,2, Kati Hiltrop e,3 , Jannika Rother e,4 , Matthias Boschheidgen b,f, Gerald Antoch b,f,5, Silke Redlerb,g,6, Dagmar Wieczorekb,g,7, Tanja Fehmb,h, Bernadette Anna Sophia Jaeger b,h,8, Ulrike Dinger a,b,i,9, Andr´e Karger a,b,10 a Clinical Institute of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany b Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Düsseldorf (CIO ABCD), Germany c Department of Urology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany d Division of Personalized Early Detection of Prostate Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany e University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Institute of Medical Sociology, Health Services Research and Rehabilitation Science, Chair of Health Services Research, Cologne, Germany f Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany g Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany h Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany i Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LVR Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany A R T I C L E I N F O Keywords: Prostate cancer Family history Genetic predisposition Early detection Qualitative research Men's health Genetic counselling A B S T R A C T Objective: Men with a family history of prostate cancer (PCa) or a pathogenic germline variant (PGV) face increased PCa risk. However, structured PCa early detection and insights into the experiences of affected men remain limited. This qualitative analysis explored (i) why men with familial or genetic PCa risk attended a riskadapted prevention clinic,(ii) which elements they found helpful, and (iii) how e

FAQs

What was the objective of this qualitative study?

The study aimed to explain why high-risk men attend a risk-adapted prevention clinic, identify helpful elements, and inform how early-detection services could be tailored to their needs.

How were participants recruited and what services were provided in the clinic?

Participants were selected using maximum variation sampling, and the clinic offered PSA testing, mpMRI, genetic counselling, and panel testing followed by risk-adapted recommendations.

What motivators did the study identify for attending early detection?

Seven motivators were identified, including clarifying risk/PGV status, information needs, benefits for family, support others, external recommendation, access to structured screening, and preventive recommendations.

Aug 30, 2026

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