title: The association of long-term treatment-related side effects with cancer-specific and general quality of life among prostate cancer survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between treatment-related side effects and cancer-specific and general quality of life (QOL) among long-term prostate cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, we conducted telephone interviews with prostate cancer survivors (N = 518) who were 5-10 years after diagnosis. We assessed demographic and clinical information, sexual, urinary, and bowel treatment-related side effects (Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite), cancer-specific QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy--total score), and general QOL (the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 12's physical and mental subscales).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants were aged 74.6 years on average, primarily White (88.4%), and married (81.7%). Pearson correlation coefficients between the 3 treatment-related side effect domains (urinary, sexual, and bowel) and QOL ranged between 0.14 and 0.42 (P <.0001). Multivariable linear regression analyses revealed that poorer urinary and sexual functioning and greater bowel side effects were independently associated with poorer cancer-specific QOL (P <.0001). Bowel and urinary functions were also associated with poorer general QOL on the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 12's physical component summary and mental component summary (P <.05). Bowel side effects demonstrated the strongest association with all QOL outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment-related side effects persisted for up to 10 years after diagnosis and continued to be associated with men's QOL. These results suggest that each of the treatment-related side effects was independently associated with cancer-specific QOL. Compared with the other Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite domains, bowel side effects had the strongest association with cancer-specific and general QOL. These associations emphasize the tremendous impact that bowel side effects continue to have for men many years after their initial diagnosis.
authors: Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center. Electronic address: kmd54@georgetown.edu.
authors: Kimberly M
authors: KM
authors: Davis
authors: Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center.
authors: Scott P
authors: SP
authors: Kelly
authors: Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Biomathematics, Georgetown University Medical Center.
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Luta
authors: Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center.
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Tomko
authors: Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Anthony B
authors: AB
authors: Miller
authors: Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center.
authors: Kathryn L
authors: KL
authors: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D017741:Survivors; D013812:Therapeutics / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors