title: Impact of salvage therapy for biochemical recurrence on health-related quality of life following radical prostatectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the impact of salvage therapy for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2000 and December 2003, a total of 249 patients who underwent RP were available for 2-year follow up. Of the respondents, 203 men did not show evidence of recurrence (group A), and 46 men received salvage hormonal therapy and/or radiotherapy after RP because of a rise in PSA (group B). The general and prostate-target HRQOL was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form and University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index, respectively. Patients completed the HRQOL instruments by mail at baseline and at 24 months after RP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of the patients completed both questionnaires. At baseline no significant differences were found between the two groups in any of the HRQOL domains. There were significant improvements in mental health and social function for the patients without biochemical recurrence postoperatively. Repeated measure anova revealed significantly different patterns of alteration in several general HRQOL domains among the treatment groups. The urinary and bowel domains were equivalent between the two treatment groups at baseline and 24 months after RP. The patients treated with salvage hormonal therapy tended to show delayed recovery of sexual function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using a self-administered questionnaire, biochemical recurrence following RP was found to impose a substantial burden in patients with localized prostate cancer.
authors: Department of Urology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seuryomachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan. namikin@uro.med.tohoku.ac.jp
authors: Shunichi
authors: S
authors: Namiki
authors: Seiichi
authors: S
authors: Saito
authors: Tatsuo
authors: T
authors: Tochigi
authors: Naomasa
authors: N
authors: Ioritani
authors: Akito
authors: A
authors: Terai
authors: Yoichi
authors: Y
authors: Arai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen