SexHealth & ProstateCancer

The current research project integrates the priority domain of Health and Life Sciences, Human Resources and Specialized Services, with a special focus on Technology for Quality of Life, of the national R&I strategy for intelligent specialization (RIS3) for both Portugal and for its Northern region (PT11), which clearly highlights the interdisciplinary area of cancer, neurosciences, tissue engineering and the development of new surgical sciences techniques and its integration and consolidation with the pharmaceutical, medical devices and health care services, as priority areas of Research & Innovation (R&I). Health, demographic change and well-being is among the Societal challenges the EU identified as a core research and innovation investment area under the objectives of Horizon 2020, with real impact and returns to society.

This consortium gathers regional resources with relevant critical mass to generate excellent clinical and scientific knowledge in different areas of activity (e.g., diseases, ageing and active life, translational research, advanced technologies applied to health). Based on a biopsychosocial approach, this consortium proposes the multidisciplinary study of different dimensions of the health of patients with prostate cancer.

The research team leading the 3 research lines will contribute in a pioneering and innovative way to the development of scientific and clinical knowledge in the complementary areas of medicine, oncology, microbiology, infectious diseases, psychology, sexology, and neurosciences, in response to a major public health problem observed in the Northern Region of Portugal and on a global scale – the increasing incidence of prostate cancer (RORENO. Projeções da incidência de cancro na Região Norte – 2013, 2015 e 2020. Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto, ed. Porto, 2013).

Therefore, under a multidisciplinary approach, including different scientific areas (medicine, psychology, engineering, neurosciences, and applied mathematics) and using different methodologies (laboratorial, clinical trial, e-Health, longitudinal), this project aims at researching biomedical and psychological risk factors involved in the etiology and development of prostate cancer, as well as unveiling protective factors.

Research Line 1 (Prostate Cancer and Sexually Transmitted Infections: unveiling an intricate relationship aiming the development of a fast diagnostic tool) is aimed at determining whether sexually transmitted diseases caused by key infectious agents as a result of sexually transmitted diseases resulting from adopted risky sexual behavior and attitudes towards sexual activity, may contribute to the development of cancer cells in the prostate. In the same direction.

Research Line 2 (Neuro-psychophysiological predictors of mental and sexual health after prostate cancer treatment: collecting evidence on risk and protective factors) aims to collect knowledge on the risk and protective factors impacting mental and sexual health (e.g., sexual dysfunction, relationship variables, risky sexual behavior) of men with prostate cancer. Taken together, Research Line 1 and 2 complete each other as they target biopsychosocial underpinnings in prostate cancer and prostate cancer adjustment, guiding clinical intervention with men with this oncological condition.

Along with the creation of a proposed algorithm to predict mental and sexual health adjustment after treatment, these studies have strong implications for clinical practice and for the development of intervention tools, as proposed in Research Line 3 (Randomized Controlled Trial on Efficacy of an e-Health psychological intervention for promoting sexual and mental health, and quality of life in prostate cancer survivors).

In perfect alignment with the emerging global societal needs in the area of cancer, this innovative e-Health intervention developed will enable close monitoring of the patient’s clinical condition and treatment while delivering specialized care targeting the patient’s overall quality of life, and will be made available for patients, clinicians and overall healthcare providers in the Northern region of Portugal and worldwide.

Therefore, the transition to personalized medicine is fostered by the development of methods for earlier detection or prevention of individual at risk; more specific biomarkers for patient stratification and tools for more rapid diagnostics/drug development, and new innovative personalized therapies. In that sense, the SexHealth & ProstateCancer proposal aims a significant impact in personalizing health and care in particular in the fields of oncology, infectious diseases/sexually transmitted infections, mental health, and sexual health.

Norte2020 (Portugal 2020)

588,075.66€

280,032.12€

NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000057

01/05/2021 to 30/04/2023

Acácio Rodrigues (FMUP-PI), Cidália Pina Vaz, Carmen Lisboa, Elizabete Ricardo e Alberto Freitas

FPCEUP, project leader, in partnership with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP)