title: The effects of multidisciplinary rehabilitation: RePCa-a randomised study among primary prostate cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study is the effectiveness of multidisciplinary rehabilitation on treatment-related adverse effects after completed radiotherapy in patients with prostate cancer (PCa).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a single-centre oncology unit in Odense, Denmark, 161 PCa patients treated with radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy were randomly assigned to either a programme of two nursing counselling sessions and two instructive sessions with a physical therapist (n=79) or to usual care (n=82). Primary outcome was Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC-26) urinary irritative sum-score. Before radiotherapy, pre-intervention 4 weeks after radiotherapy, and after a 20-week intervention, measurements included self-reported disease-specific quality of life (QoL; EPIC-26, including urinary, bowel, sexual, and hormonal symptoms), general QoL (Short-form-12, SF-12), pelvic floor muscle strength (Modified Oxford Scale), and pelvic floor electromyography. Intension-to-treat analyses were made with adjusted linear regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intervention improved, as compared with controls, urinary irritative sum-score 5.8 point (Cohen's d=0.40; P=0.011), urinary sum-score (d=0.34; P=0.023), hormonal sum-score (d=0.19; P=0.018), and the SF-12 Physical Component Summary, d=0.35; P=0.002. Patients with more severe impairment gained most. Pelvic floor muscle strength measured by electromyography declined in both groups, P=0.0001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multidisciplinary rehabilitation in irradiated PCa patients improved urinary and hormonal symptoms, and SF-12 physical QoL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Southern Boulevard 29, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark.
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Dieperink
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Minet
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hansen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003376:Counseling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011878:Radiotherapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists