title: [Impact of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy followed by surgery for mid-low rectal cancer on patients' erectile function: a prospective randomized trial].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the erectile function of male patients treated by neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone for mid-low rectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data of 66 patients with rectal cancer from March 2011 to March 2013 were prospectively analyzed. Of all the patients, 56 cases were finally included in the study and were randomly allocated to two groups. Thirty patients were treated by neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy followed by surgery (RCS group), and 26 were treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery (NCS group). The five-item version of the international index of erectile function (IIEF-5) questionnaire were used to determine erectile function before therapy and at least 12 months after surgery. The impacts of age, location, size of tumor, and body mass index on erectile function were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total score was decreased significantly at follow-up compared to initial assessment in both RCS and NCS groups (23.4 ± 1.30 vs. 11.7 ± 5.8, t = 10.748, P < 0.01; 23.1 ± 1.3 vs. 15.2 ± 6.7, t = 5.910, P < 0.01, respectively). Score difference was statistically higher in RCS group compared with NCS group (11.7 ± 5.6 vs. 8.0 ± 6.0, t = 2.394, P = 0.020). In terms of tumor location for RCS group, difference was statistically higher in the patients with low rectal cancer compared with those with middle rectal cancer (14.5 ± 3.5 vs. 9.5 ± 6.0, t = 2.894, P = 0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The erectile functions of patients treated by neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy followed by surgery are more affected than that of patients treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery in mid-low rectal cancer. Also low rectal cancer are significantly associated with erectile dysfunction in the patients treated by neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy followed by surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, 6th Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510655, China.
authors.forename: Meijin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jinxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yanhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Biying
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.affiliation: Email: wjp@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome