Assessment of patient concern and adequacy of informed consent regarding infertility resulting from prostate cancer treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To address in a questionnaire-based study the frequency at which fertility is a concern for men when they consider their prostate cancer treatment options. A secondary aim was to assess the rate at which men were informed of the fertility implications of prostate cancer treatment by their physician before their selection of a treatment option.


METHODS
Two questionnaires were used. One questionnaire was distributed to men with localized prostate cancer who had undergone treatment within the past year. These questions addressed whether continence, erectile function, and fertility were discussed with them by their physician during the prostate cancer treatment selection process. The second questionnaire was distributed to men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer and queried their level of concern about the effects of prostate cancer treatment on sexual function, urinary function, and fertility.


RESULTS
All patients receiving the first questionnaire stated that they were informed of the incontinence and impotence side effects of prostate cancer treatments, but only 8.7% stated that they were informed of the effect that prostate cancer treatments would have on their future fertility. Of the patients completing the second questionnaire, 53.7% responded that incontinence was the side effect of prostate cancer treatment that caused them the most concern, 42.6% stated that erectile dysfunction was the most concerning, and 3.7% listed fertility as the major concern.


CONCLUSIONS
Urologists should consider approaching the topic of infertility when discussing the pros and cons of various prostate cancer therapies with their younger patients.
Boyd
Buffi G
BG
Section of Urology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia 30912-4050, USA.
McCallum
Stewart W
SW
Lewis
Ronald W
RW
Terris
Martha K
MK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology*; D007258:Informed Consent; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000209:etiology