Correlates of bother following treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We determined factors associated with bother, the distress patients experience as a result of functional detriments after treatment for localized prostate cancer.


METHODS
A prospective cohort of men treated for clinically localized prostate cancer completed a questionnaire comprising the UCLA-PCI, Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36, American Urological Association Symptom Index and Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer fear of recurrence subscale. We used nonlinear mixed models to identify factors associated with severe urinary, sexual and bowel bother.


RESULTS
Worse function scores were associated with severe urinary, sexual and bowel bother following treatment (OR 0.88-0.94, p <0.001). Worse American Urological Association Symptom Index score was associated with severe urinary bother (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.16-1.28). Time since treatment was inversely associated with urinary (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.54-0.83) and bowel bother (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.47-0.80) early after treatment but not for the entire 48-month study period. Receipt of concomitant androgen deprivation therapy was not associated with bother 48 months after radiation.


CONCLUSIONS
Addressing functional detriment may confer improvement in urinary, sexual and bowel bother. Patient distress related to dysfunction improves with time. Measuring health related quality of life after prostate cancer treatment should incorporate functional and bother assessments.
Gore
John L
JL
Department of Urology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA. jlgore@u.washington.edu
Gollapudi
Kiran
K
Bergman
Jonathan
J
Kwan
Lorna
L
Krupski
Tracey L
TL
Litwin
Mark S
MS
D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects