Health-related quality of life after radical prostatectomy in Japanese men with localized prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated retrospectively health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after radical prostatectomy (RP) in Japanese men with localized prostate cancer.


METHODS
The study was based on self-reported HRQOL of 280 patients. Patients were divided into seven groups: time 0 (T0), baseline before operation; T1, 1-3 months after RP; T2, 4-6 months after RP; T3, 7-12 months after RP; T4, 13-24 months after RP; T5, 25-36 months after RP; and T6, more than 36 months after RP. We measured the general and disease-specific HRQOL using the RAND 36-item Health Survey 1.0 (SF-36) and the University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA PCI).


RESULTS
The general HRQOL of the postoperative groups was assessed by SF-36. The postoperative groups showed almost the same or higher scores than those of the baseline group. Urinary function scores decreased substantially after surgery. In contrast, there was no difference in urinary bother between the baseline and postoperative groups. Sexual function deteriorated substantially in all postoperative groups. Similarly, the sexual bother score significantly deteriorated after RP. The sexual bother score of men aged 65-years or younger was significantly worse than that of their counterparts in the T1-2 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite reports of problems with sexual activity and urinary continence, general HRQOL was mostly unaffected by RP. Although there was a substantial decrease in urinary function, recovery from urinary bother was rapid. Since the deterioration of sexual function was marked through the postoperative period, careful attention should be paid to this issue during preoperative counseling, especially for younger patients.
Namiki
Shunichi
S
Department of Urology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiry-omachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan.
Tochigi
Tatsuo
T
Kuwahara
Masaaki
M
Ohnuma
Tetsutaro
T
Ioritani
Naomasa
N
Soma
Fumihiko
F
Shintaku
Ichiro
I
Terai
Akito
A
Nakagawa
Haruo
H
Satoh
Makoto
M
Saito
Seiichi
S
Koinuma
Nobuo
N
Arai
Yoichi
Y
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012723:Sex; D013997:Time Factors; D014554:Urination