Intimacy-Enhancing Couples' Intervention for Localized Prostate Cancer

Treatment for prostate cancer can be emotionally and physically challenging for patients and their partners. The purpose of this study is to compare different types of psychological assistance to see if they improve the well-being of patients being treated for prostate cancer and their partners.

Patients and their partners will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) those who meet with a therapist once weekly for five weeks followed by a “booster” session three weeks later, to talk about how to support each other and communicate well during cancer treatment; (2) those who meet with a therapist once weekly for five weeks followed by a “booster” session three weeks later, to talk about diet, nutrition, and physical activity; or (3) those who receive the current standard of care but do not attend any meetings with a therapist. Participants in all three groups will be asked to complete questionnaires about their well-being, their relationships, and how they are dealing overall with the cancer and its treatment.