In order to provide baseline data on pain and health-related quality of life, to explore factors predicting pain and reduced quality of life, and to find potentially undertreated cases in men with prostate cancer, we undertook a population-based questionnaire study. The questionnaire, which included the EuroQo1 instrument, the Brief Pain Inventory form and 8 specially designed questions, was sent to all men with prostate cancer in the county of Ostergötland, Sweden. Of the 1442 men included in the study, 1243 responded to the questionnaire. Altogether 42% had perceived pain during the previous week and 26% stated their quality of life to be 50% or lower on a visual analogue scale. A high rating of health care availability and short time since diagnosis were found to significantly predict lower ratings of pain (P