Funding from Fond'Action for a USI project on therapeutic decisions in prostate cancer

Dr Serena Petrocchi, a Lecturer and researcher at USI's Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, has secured a grant from the Fond'Action Foundation for a project investigating the psychological and communicative factors that shape prostate cancer treatment decisions. The research aims to deepen understanding of how patients make therapeutic decisions and to develop practical tools to foster more informed choices and improve quality of life.

Prostate cancer represents a textbook case of preference-sensitive medicine. When faced with several clinically appropriate therapeutic options such as surgery, radiotherapy, or active surveillance, the final decision depends not only on medical aspects but also on the values, priorities, and individual characteristics of the person involved.

The project intends to explore the role of psychological factors such as risk aversion, coping strategies, health literacy, and other individual traits in treatment choice and potential post-decision regret. In parallel, it will analyse how therapeutic options are presented and discussed during multidisciplinary consultations, observing how doctors from different specialities communicate with patients and coordinate their recommendations.

The research will be developed in three phases. The first phase will retrospectively analyse data from approximately 500 men with localised or locally advanced prostate cancer. The second phase involves a qualitative study of recorded multidisciplinary consultations to understand how diagnoses and therapeutic options are communicated. Finally, the gathered results will be used to develop two practical tools: a guide for patients to support them in preparing for consultations and in the decision-making process, and a communication roadmap for healthcare professionals, designed to foster clear, balanced, and patient-centred communication.

The initiative stems from a collaboration between Università della Svizzera italiana, the Prostate Centre of Southern Switzerland, the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, and the Cantonal Socio-Psychiatric Organisation. Alongside the project's scientific head, Dr Serena Petrocchi, the research group includes post-doctoral researcher Dr Maria Rosa Miccoli, Dr Fabio Turco, Dr Davide Giovanni Bosetti, Dr Nicola Grignoli, and Dr Ursula Vogl.

Through an interdisciplinary approach integrating psychology, communication, and clinical practice, the project will contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing therapeutic decisions in oncology, with the ultimate goal of supporting patients and professionals in developing increasingly informed, shared, and sustainable treatment pathways over the long term.