New Irish research released to coincide with World Cancer Day (February 4) has given some insight into the toll chemotherapy can take on prostate cancer patients.

Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer in men after skin cancer, with around 3,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Currently in Ireland, some 17,000 men are living with the disease and around 500 die as a result of it annually.

The research was carried out last November among 109 family members of patients. It found that, not surprisingly, chemotherapy can have a major impact on a person both physically and psychologically.

The most common side-effects seen by family members were vomiting/nausea, hair loss, fatigue and loss of appetite.

One in three family members said that their loved one was afraid that the treatment would not work and had been mentally drained by the experience. However, they still remained determined to beat the disease.

A further one in five family members said that their loved ones were often sad or depressed, or found it hard to deal with their family's emotions, while undergoing treatment.

While almost one in three family members described the treatment as manageable, at least one in 10 also admitted that it was the hardest thing the patient had ever undergone.

The research revealed that while family members were the biggest source of support for patients, neighbours now tended to ask about the patients a lot more than before.

Meanwhile, around one in four family members said that the reality of chemotherapy was slightly better than they had expected - a relief for those who had prepared for the worse to happen.

The study was supported by Janssen.