Impacts of leuprolide acetate on quality of life in patients with prostate cancer: a prospective multicenter study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the impacts of leuprolide acetate on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with prostate cancer.


METHODS
A total of 104 patients was enrolled in this prospective multicenter study. All patients received subcutaneous injections of 3.75 mg leuprolide acetate at 4 week intervals for a total of 12 weeks. QoL was assessed before treatment and at 12 weeks using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and an accompanying prostate cancer-specific module (QLQ-PR25).


RESULTS
Eighty-nine of 104 patients (85.6%) completed the 12 week study. Eighty-six of 89 patients (96.6%) achieved and maintained medical castration. The results of the EORTC QLQ-C30 indicated that patients experienced an improvement in global health status/QoL (p < 0.001), despite a deterioration in physical and role functioning (p = 0.012 and p = 0.007, respectively). The symptom scales indicated a statistically significant improvement in appetite (p = 0.003). The results of the QLQ-PR25 revealed that patients experienced an increase in hot flushes (p < 0.001) and erection problems and uncomfortable sexual intimacy among the sexual functioning items (p = 0.030 and p = 0.023, respectively), but day-time urinary frequency was improved (p = 0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this prospective study indicate that leuprolide acetate treatment was accompanied by improvements in global health status/QoL, despite a deterioration in physical, role and sexual function.
You
Dalsan
D
Department of Urology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Jeong
In Gab
IG
Kim
Sae Woong
SW
Chung
Byung Ha
BH
Cho
Jin Seon
JS
Lee
Hyun Moo
HM
Yun
Sung-Cheol
SC
Kim
Choung-Soo
CS
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002369:Castration / Q000379:methods; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D016729:Leuprolide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000139:chemically induced; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000139:chemically induced; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D016729:Leuprolide