title: Quality of life in penile carcinoma patients - post-total penectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Total amputation, as a treatment for advanced penile cancer, significantly debilitates the patient's quality of life and sexual function. The aim of the study was to assess the quality of life in patients who had undergone total penectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The questionnaires EORTC QLQ C-30, SES, CMNI, and a modified IIEF-15 questionnaire, were sent to 11 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 10 patients returned the questionnaires completed. The results of the overall quality of life, the median result in individual domains, as assessed by the EORT QLQ C-30 questionnaire, were clearly lower than the reference results. There were statistically significant differences in the results of the QLQ C-30, concerning the role-functioning domain in relation to age (p = 0.008) and education (p = 0.032), in the domain of emotional functioning in relation to education (p = 0.008) and in the domains of physical functioning in relation to the partner relationship (p = 0.032). A significant number of patients were sexually inactive. Sexual activity as defined by touching the area of the pubic symphysis at the scars of the penis, touching and fondling perianal areas or the scrotum and watching things/people that cause excitement was observed in 2/10, 1/10 and 2/10 of patients respectively. In 5/6 of these patients, partnership relationships did not deteriorate, including one patient for whom the relationship actually improved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained indicate that total amputation of the penis significantly affects one's sex life and overall quality of life. However, this does not have negative implications in terms of partnership relations, self-assessment or the evaluation of masculinity.
authors.affiliation: Uro-oncology Deptartment, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sosnowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Psycho-oncology, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kulpa
authors.affiliation: Department of Psycho-oncology, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Mariola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kosowicz
authors.affiliation: Uro-oncology Deptartment, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Jan Karol
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Wolski
authors.affiliation: The Second Faculty of Medicine with the English Division and the Physiotherapy Division, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kuczkiewicz
authors.affiliation: The Second Faculty of Medicine with the English Division and the Physiotherapy Division, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moskal
authors.affiliation: Uro-oncology Deptartment, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szymański
authors.affiliation: Uro-oncology Deptartment, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kalinowski
authors.affiliation: Uro-oncology Deptartment, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Demkow
keywords: Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL); Quality of Life (QoL); penile cancer; total penile amputation