Recovery of health related quality of life after radical prostatectomy in japanese men: a longitudinal study.
BACKGROUND
We performed a longitudinal survey of health related quality of life (HRQOL) after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RP) in Japanese men with localized prostate cancer.


METHODS
The present study started with self-reported HRQOL assessments provided by 72 patients who received only RP. The RAND 36-Item Health Survey and the University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index were administered before and 3, 6 and 12 months after RP.


RESULTS
Patients who underwent RP showed problems in some domains of general HRQOL, but these problems diminished over time. Urinary function declined substantially at 3 months and continued to recover at 6 and 12 months, but scored lower than the baseline. Urinary bother at 3 months had a significant decrease, but at six months it turned out to be the same as the baseline. The data of sexual function and bother showed a substantially lower score after RP. The sexual bother score of the younger men was significantly worse than that of the older men. Those who underwent nerve sparing procedures experienced significantly better recovery of urinary and sexual functions than the non-nerve sparing group.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite reports of problems with sexuality and urinary continence, general HRQOL was mostly unaffected by RP after 6 months. Although there was a substantial decrease in urinary function, recovery from urinary bother was rapid. Deterioration of the sexual domain was remarkable throughout the postoperative period. Therefore, careful attention should be given to preoperative counseling, especially for younger patients.
Namiki
Shunichi
S
Department of Urology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
Tochigi
Tatsuo
T
Kuwahara
Masaaki
M
Ioritani
Naomasa
N
Yoshimura
Koji
K
Terai
Akito
A
Nakagawa
Haruo
H
Ishidoya
Shigeto
S
Satoh
Makoto
M
Ito
Akihiro
A
Saito
Seiichi
S
Koinuma
Nobuo
N
Arai
Yoichi
Y
D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology