• P Fransson and A Widmark.
• Department of Oncology, Umeå University, Sweden.
• Cancer. 1996 Sep 1; 78 (5): 1066-78.

BackgroundTreatment of localized prostate carcinoma is often accompanied by disturbances in sexual function. The patient's own opinion and experience with these problems can be of great importance for his quality of life. In men older than 50 years, disturbances in sexual function are common. Treatment such as radiotherapy (RT), which can induce sexual dysfunction, should be evaluated in relation to the problems in an age-matched population without prostate carcinoma.MethodsSexual function was evaluated with a self-assessment questionnaire using linear-analogue scales. The questionnaire was sent to 199 patients with prostate carcinoma, median age 71 years (range, 51-86 years), who had received pelvic RT with curative intent and to 200 age-matched men in northern Sweden. Mean follow-up time after RT was 48 months (range, 24-56 months).ResultsThe response rate was high: 141 (71%) and 181 (91%) in the control and patient groups, respectively. Field reduction and treatment pause during RT was not associated with decreased problems in the patient groups. A failure to achieve erection was indicated in 12% of the control subjects, 56% of the patients who had received (RT only) and 87% of the RT + castration (RT + A) patients. In general, patients < 70 years treated with RT+A indicated more sexual problems than the RT only patients < 70 years. There was a strong negative correlation between age and sexual problems in the RT + A < 70 years group. However, in patients < 70 years, sexual activity after RT only, was not significantly different from the age-matched control population.ConclusionsPatients with prostate carcinoma treated with RT only indicated higher levels of sexual dysfunction than age-matched controls. This was most obvious in patients younger than 70 years, although their sexual activity was comparable to age-matched controls. The addition of castration to RT tended to increase sexual problems, especially in patients < 70 years. In men between 70 and 74 years, the maintenance of sexual function seems to be very susceptible to disturbances. For patients older than 74 years, decreased sexual function was not perceived as such a significant problem, despite abolished desire and erection.

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