BACKGROUND: This study describes and compares health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of prostate cancer patients who received either radical prostatectomy (nerve-sparing, nsRP, or non-nerve-sparing, nnsRP) or radiotherapy (external RT, brachytherapy, or both combined) for treatment of localised prostate cancer.
METHODS: The prospective, multicenter cohort study included 529 patients. Questionnaires included the IIEF, QLQ-C30, and PORPUS-P. Data were collected before (baseline), three, six, twelve, and twenty-four months after treatment. Differences between groups' baseline characteristics were assessed; changes over time were analysed with generalised estimating equations (GEE). Missing values were treated with multiple imputation. Further, scores at baseline and end of follow-up were compared to German reference data.
RESULTS: The typical time trend was a decrease of average HRQOL three months after treatment followed by (partial) recovery. RP patients experienced considerable impairment in sexual functioning. The covariate-adjusted GEE identified a significant - but not clinically relevant - treatment effect for diarrhoea (b = 7.0 for RT, p = 0.006) and PORPUS-P (b = 2.3 for nsRP, b = 2.2 for RT, p = 0.045) compared to the reference nnsRP. Most of the HRQOL scores were comparable to German norm values.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings from previous research were reproduced in a specific setting of a patient cohort in the German health care system. According to the principle of evidence-based medicine, this strengthens the messages regarding treatment in prostate cancer and its impacts on patients' health-related quality of life. After adjustment for baseline HRQOL and other covariates, RT patients reported increased symptoms of diarrhoea, and nnsRP patients decreased prostate-specific HRQOL. RP patients experienced considerable impairment in sexual functioning. These differences should be taken into account by physicians when choosing the best therapy for a patient.
Written by:
Eisemann N, Nolte S, Schnoor M, Katalinic A, Rohde V, Waldmann A. Are you the author?
Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, University of Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Luebeck, Germany; Medical Clinic, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany; Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia; Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Luebeck, Germany; Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562, Luebeck, Germany; Medical Practice of Urology, Auguststr. 4, 23611, Bad Schwartau, Germany; Department of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Rudolf-Buchheim-Str. 7, 35392, Giessen, Germany. ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Reference: BMC Urol. 2015 Apr 10;15(1):28.
doi: 10.1186/s12894-015-0025-6
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 25885890