title: Long-term health-related quality-of-life outcomes after permanent prostate brachytherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We evaluated the long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after modern prostate brachytherapy (PB).
  
  
  METHODS
  The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) prostate cancer quality-of-life questionnaire, QLQ-PR25, and the modified International Continence Society (ICS) male questionnaire were sent to 296 men treated with PB at the University Medical Center Mannheim. To evaluate the influence of age, we subclassified two groups: group 1 <65 years, group 2 > or =65 years. 258 of the 296 patients were alive at the time of assessment. Of 238 questionnaires (92% response rate), 231 were suitable for analysis. Median follow-up was 51 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of group 1 77.8% and of group 2 73.4% of the men were in good, very good or excellent health. There was a low rate of moderate (10.4%) or strong (1.0%) symptoms regarding urinary functioning. Stress incontinence was uncommon. Only 28.2% reported moderate or strong (up to 17.6%) symptoms regarding sexual functioning. In group 1 48.6% and in group 2 25.0% of patients reported no or minor erectile dysfunction (p < 0.007). There was no severe overall rectal dysfunction (<2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data substantiate the favorable long-term HRQoL outcomes associated with modern PB techniques. Significant age differences were observed in sexual symptoms and less pronounced age differences in urinary symptoms. We found a low rate of urinary symptoms and no evidence of severe rectal dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Klinik fur Strahlentherapie und Radioonkologie, Universitatsklinikum Mannheim, Medizinische Fakultat Mannheim, Germany. joerg.schaefer@radonk.ma.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Jorg W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Schafer
authors.forename: Grit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Welzel
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trojan
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eppler
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harrer
authors.forename: Maurice S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alken
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wenz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*