title: Health-related quality of life after radical prostatectomy in Japanese men with localized prostate cancer.
abstract: 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.
authors: Department of Urology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiry-omachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan.
authors: Shunichi
authors: S
authors: Namiki
authors: Tatsuo
authors: T
authors: Tochigi
authors: Masaaki
authors: M
authors: Kuwahara
authors: Tetsutaro
authors: T
authors: Ohnuma
authors: Naomasa
authors: N
authors: Ioritani
authors: Fumihiko
authors: F
authors: Soma
authors: Ichiro
authors: I
authors: Shintaku
authors: Akito
authors: A
authors: Terai
authors: Haruo
authors: H
authors: Nakagawa
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Satoh
authors: Seiichi
authors: S
authors: Saito
authors: Nobuo
authors: N
authors: Koinuma
authors: Yoichi
authors: Y
authors: Arai
mesh_terms: 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