The effect of erectile function on the use of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors after radical prostatectomy in Japanese and U.S. men.
OBJECTIVE
To compare patterns of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor use between Japanese and U.S. men after radical prostatectomy.


METHODS
A total of 168 Japanese men and 205 U.S. men with localized prostate cancer who were enrolled in studies of health-related quality-of-life outcomes participated in this study. Sexual function and bother were estimated with validated English and Japanese versions of the University of California-Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index before and after treatment. Use of PDE-5 inhibitors was self-reported.


RESULTS
During the 24 months after radical prostatectomy, 71.8% of the U.S. men and 10.1% of the Japanese men used PDE-5 inhibitors. Japanese users reported significantly better sexual function than did non-users before (41 versus 29, P = 0.028) and after (31 versus 9, P = 0.040) surgery. In contrast, the U.S. users reported significantly worse sexual function than did non-users before (59 versus 77, P <0.001) and after (33 versus 54, P <0.001) surgery. Postoperative sexual bother did not differ between users and non-users in either group.


CONCLUSIONS
Japanese men were much less likely to use PDE-5 inhibitors than were U.S. men after radical prostatectomy, despite reporting worse sexual function scores. Cultural differences in patterns of PDE-5 inhibitor use after prostatectomy were evident.
Namiki
Shunichi
S
Department of Urology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1738, USA.
Kwan
Lorna
L
Kagawa-Singer
Marjorie
M
Arai
Yoichi
Y
Litwin
Mark S
MS
D000368:Aged; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014481:United States
D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors