{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T19:21:14Z","timestamp":1792005674199,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":106,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,13]],"date-time":"2025-10-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1760313600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Prostate cancer is characterised by significant uncertainty, yet men\u2019s lived experience of uncertainty in this context remain underexplored. Existing research has primarily focused on uncertainty related to informational needs, the pre-treatment phase, or men under active observation. Little attention has been paid to uncertainty that extends beyond informational gaps or affects those who have undergone active treatment.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This study aimed to address this gap by exploring how men experience uncertainty throughout the prostate cancer journey. Gaining such insight is essential for informing more holistic and responsive care.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 men diagnosed with prostate cancer who were either undergoing or had completed active treatment. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Four overarching themes were developed: (1) Aspects of uncertainty, including ambiguity surrounding the cancer trajectory, interpersonal relationships, and the future; (2) Initial responses to uncertainty, including emotional distress and avoidant behaviours; (3) Managing uncertainty, including strategies used to cope and adapt; and (4) Posttraumatic growth, highlighting positive changes attributed to navigating prostate cancer and its uncertainty.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec005\">\n<jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Uncertainty is a pervasive and enduring aspect of the prostate cancer experience, extending beyond diagnosis into treatment and survivorship. It complicates psychological adjustment and calls for adaptive management. Support interventions should address not only informational but also emotional and relational dimensions of uncertainty, promoting openness and acceptance, perspective-taking, values-driven living, and dyadic adjustment.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0334180","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,13]],"date-time":"2025-10-13T17:30:56Z","timestamp":1760376656000},"page":"e0334180","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Experience of uncertainty in prostate cancer: A qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-8369-0831","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Yingna","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"David","family":"Gillanders","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anne","family":"Finucane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0334180.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"30","DOI":"10.1016\/j.janxdis.2016.02.007","article-title":"Into the unknown: A review and synthesis of contemporary models involving uncertainty","volume":"39","author":"RN Carleton","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Anxiety Disord"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0334180.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"225","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1547-5069.1988.tb00082.x","article-title":"Uncertainty in illness","volume":"20","author":"MH Mishel","year":"1988","journal-title":"Image J Nurs Sch"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0334180.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0289522","article-title":"Uncertainty in serious illness: a national interdisciplinary consensus exercise to identify clinical research priorities","volume":"19","author":"SN Etkind","year":"2024","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0334180.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"622","DOI":"10.1177\/13591053241249861","article-title":"The relationship between uncertainty in illness and psychological adjustment to chronic illness","volume":"30","author":"TA Skojec","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Health Psychol"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0334180.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpainsymman.2020.08.012","article-title":"Associations of uncertainty with psychological health and quality of life in older adults with advanced cancer","volume":"61","author":"HC Verduzco-Aguirre","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Pain Symptom Manage"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0334180.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1188\/17.ONF.E152-E167","article-title":"Antecedents and outcomes of uncertainty in older adults with cancer: a scoping review of the literature","volume":"44","author":"V Ghodraty Jabloo","year":"2017","journal-title":"Oncol Nurs Forum"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0334180.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1270","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers11091270","article-title":"Skeletal metastases of unknown primary: biological landscape and clinical overview","volume":"11","author":"A Argentiero","year":"2019","journal-title":"Cancers (Basel)"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0334180.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"323","DOI":"10.1038\/nrc3261","article-title":"Intra-tumour heterogeneity: a looking glass for cancer?","volume":"12","author":"A Marusyk","year":"2012","journal-title":"Nat Rev Cancer"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0334180.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"171","DOI":"10.1177\/0269216316647610","article-title":"How does uncertainty shape patient experience in advanced illness? 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