The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe the self-directed learning experiences of men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 prostate cancer patients. The interview transcripts were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The results indicate that the common motivations for their learning were the need to make informed treatment decisions, the need to select doctors, and the desire to find out from survivors what they

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... might be facing. The common problems they described concerned the time pressure they experienced and the complexity of some of the material they accessed. The results of their learning assisted them in making treatment decisions, in choosing doctors, were somewhat useful in dealing with the side effects of their treatments, and prepared them to help other newly diagnosed men. The findings are discussed in regard to the literature on self-directed learning and prostate cancer as well as in regard to gender differences that emerge when contrasting the results with prior research on self-directed learning and breast cancer. The Self-Directed Learning of Men with Prostate Cancer Prostate cancer affects one in six American men, making it the most common form of cancer found in men, other than skin cancer. The American Cancer Society (2005) estimates that 232,090 new cases will be diagnosed this year, and 30,350 men will die of the disease. Although engaging in self-directed learning appears to be a common response of men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer, very little is known about the motivations, processes, resources used, and outcomes of their experiences. The purpose of this study is to describe, from their perspectives, the self-directed learning experiences of these prostate cancer patients. Background and Theoretical Foundation