Variations in health-related quality of life in Japanese men who underwent iodine-125 permanent brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to prospectively assess the variations in health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in patients who underwent low-dose rate prostate brachytherapy using iodine-125 seed source during the first year after seed implantation.


METHODS
Between July 2004 and December 2006, 109 patients underwent low-dose rate brachytherapy. The Medical Outcomes study 36-Item Short Form; the University of California, Los Angeles-Prostate Cancer Index; and the International Index of Erectile Function-5 were evaluated before and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after seed implantation.


RESULTS
In Medical Outcomes study 36-Item Short Form analyses and the HR-QoL scores were well preserved during the first year after seed implantation. In the University of California, Los Angeles-Prostate Cancer Index analyses, the urinary function and bother scores showed significant decrease during 6 months after seed implantation. The bowel function and bother scores showed significant decrease at 3 months after seed implantation. The sexual function score showed significant decrease at 3, 6, and 12 months after seed implantation, whereas the sexual bother score showed no change during the first year. The International Index of Erectile Function-5 score dramatically decreased at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after seed implantation.


CONCLUSIONS
The general HR-QoL in the patients who underwent seed implantation was well preserved during the first year after seed implantation, whereas the urinary, bowel, and sexual function and bother scores showed transient deterioration during the first year after seed implantation. Especially, sexual function showed significant deterioration in Japanese men after seed implantation.
Tanaka
Nobumichi
N
Department of Urology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan. sendo@naramed-u.ac.jp
Fujimoto
Kiyohide
K
Asakawa
Isao
I
Hirayama
Akihide
A
Yoneda
Tatsuo
T
Yoshida
Katsunori
K
Hirao
Yoshihiko
Y
Hasegawa
Masatoshi
M
Konishi
Noboru
N
D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014566:Urogenital System / Q000187:drug effects
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes