Prostate cancer survivorship is becoming an increasingly important issue in Tanzania, especially because follow-up care is still heavily centralised in a few specialised centres. This model is difficult to sustain in a country with a limited number of oncologists and specialised facilities. At the same time, there is growing recognition both globally and locally that primary healthcare (PHC) should play a major role in supporting cancer survivors. With this in mind, the present study set out to determine the proportion of prostate cancer survivors who actually use PHC services after completing active treatment, and to identify the factors that influence this pattern of care. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Besta Super Specialised Polyclinic in Dar es Salaam, recruiting 213 survivors who completed radiotherapy between January 2021 and December 2023. Data were collected via medical record reviews and telephone interviews using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Prostate Cancer Module to assess symptom burden.
The study found that 69.0% of survivors utilised PHC services, primarily at district hospitals (82.3%). Rural residence was the strongest predictor, with rural survivors over ten times more likely to access care than their urban counterparts. Higher education, early-stage diagnosis and severe treatment or sexual side effects also significantly increased utilisation. Interestingly, mild urinary symptoms were associated with higher PHC use compared to severe cases.
These results suggest that a significant proportion of prostate cancer survivors in Tanzania are already engaged with PHC as a source for addressing survivorship issues, particularly those in rural settings with high symptom burdens. Given the persistent gaps and challenges in accessing specialised cancer services, it becomes even more important to recognise, understand and strengthen the role of PHC facilities as an essential part of the country’s cancer care system.
