Bowel, urinary, and sexual problems among long-term prostate cancer survivors: a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To obtain insight into the long-term (5- to 10-year) effects of prostate cancer and treatment on bowel, urinary, and sexual function, we performed a population-based study. Prostate-specific function was compared with an age-matched normative population without prostate cancer.


METHODS
Through the population-based Eindhoven Cancer Registry, we selected all men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1994 and 1998 in the southern Netherlands. In total, 964 patients, alive in November 2004, received questionnaire; 780 (81%) responded.


RESULTS
Urinary problems were most common after a prostatectomy; bowel problems were most common after radiotherapy. Compared with an age-matched normative population both urinary and bowel functioning and bother were significantly worse among survivors. Urinary incontinence was reported by 23-48% of survivors compared with 4% of the normative population. Bowel leakage occurred in 5-14% of patients compared with 2% of norms. Erection problems occurred in 40-74% of patients compared with 18% of norms.


CONCLUSIONS
These results form an important contribution to the limited information available on prostate-specific problems in the growing group of long-term prostate cancer survivors. Bowel, urinary, and sexual problems occur more often among long-term survivors compared with a reference group and cannot be explained merely by age. Because these problems persist for many years, urologists should provide patients with adequate information before treatment. After treatment, there should be an appropriate focus on these problems.
CoRPS-Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic Diseases, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
Floortje
F
Mols
Ida J
IJ
Korfage
Ad J J M
AJ
Vingerhoets
Paul J M
PJ
Kil
Jan Willem W
JW
Coebergh
Marie-Louise
ML
Essink-Bot
Lonneke V
LV
van de Poll-Franse
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*