Quality of life after permanent prostate implant

Quality of life is one of several endpoints commonly studied in prostate cancer treatment. It refers to how well an individual is functioning in life and his total sense of well being. There is increasing recognition that cancer therapy impacts significantly on the patient's ability to pursue relational, occupational and social interests. Fifty-one patients with clinically localized prostate cancer who had undergone transperineal permanent prostate implantation were evaluated. All patients were clinically staged as T1c or T2a and received an implant alone with Iodine 125 or Palladium 103 as definitive treatment. Six months after implant, data was collected using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) genitourinary group questionnaire and supplemental questions. Urinary symptoms such as nocturia, hesitancy, frequency, and dysuria were the most pronounced in the first few months after the implant and then decreased in most of patients; 40% noticed that they urinated more frequently and 17% had mild dysuria. All patients denied hematuria and none reported incontinence. Few patients reported any psychological distress or disruption in social or family life; none reported disruption in economic status or viability. All fifty-one patients said that they would have an implant again as definitive treatment. Seventy-nine percent reported an excellent quality of life post-implant. While survival is clearly a central goal of treatment for prostate cancer, the nature of this malignancy compels clinical attention to the quality of the patient's life after treatment. Sexual quality and function are maintained in the majority of patients and there is minimal interruption of their social and economic function.