Quality-of-life outcomes for men with prostate carcinoma detected by screening

There is limited information on outcomes of prostate carcinoma treatments given to screened patient populations for whom cancer is usually detected at an earlier stage.

The authors conducted a cross-sectional evaluation of quality-of-life outcomes for men with prostate carcinoma detected in screening studies at a university center. Of 2234 men diagnosed with prostate carcinoma between 1989 and 1997, 74% responded to the questionnaire. Primary management included radical prostatectomy (76%), radiotherapy (11%), observation (7%), hormonal therapy (4%), and cryoablation (2%). Main outcome measures included validated measurements of quality of life, urinary and sexual functioning, and bother (36-item RAND Health Survey, UCLA Prostate Cancer Index).

After controlling for demographic factors, differences among treatment groups were found for all general quality-of-life outcomes, with increased impairment in men who underwent hormonal therapy (all P values <0.05). Urinary and sexual function and bother were also significantly related to treatment. However, among men followed for > or =12 months, only 9% reported a moderate or major problem with urinary control. Sexual functioning was a moderate or major problem following treatment for 58% treated with prostatectomy, 48% treated with radiotherapy, 64% treated with hormonal therapy, 45% treated with cryoablation, and 30% managed with observation. Approximately one-third of the men younger than 70 years who underwent radical prostatectomy maintained adequate sexual functioning posttreatment.

Up to 6 years after diagnosis, the majority of men with prostate carcinoma detected by screening were bothered by their current sexual function, regardless of treatment. In contrast, most men were not bothered by their current urinary function.