Health-related quality of life after radical prostatectomy and low-dose-rate brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate quality of life (QOL) after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RP) and low-dose-rate brachytherapy (BT).

METHODS

Between 2001 and 2004, RP or BT was performed in 212 patients. QOL data were evaluated with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 version 3.0, the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and the International Index of Erectile Function-5 questionnaires. QOL data were compared.

RESULTS

RP and BT were performed in 142 and 70 patients, respectively. The mean follow-up was 24 months (5-53). The mean overall global health score for patients after RP was 78 (0-100) and after BT it was 83 (33-100), and it showed a trend in favour of BT. The follow-up lasted at most 53 months, and the period was divided into yearly categories. Patients who underwent BT showed worse global health in the first year after operation, but thereafter they showed better health. Patients who received BT showed a trend towards having lower functional-scale and symptom-scale scores in the first year after operation, and then higher scores for any subsequent year of follow-up. Only diarrhoea was temporarily worse in the second year after BT compared to RP. The mean total IPSS and QOL score for BT and RP patients during follow-up showed no significant difference.

CONCLUSION

Patients treated with BT or RP have similar QOL scores. QOL after BT is worse in the first year after treatment, but thereafter it is better than QOL after RP.