Quality of life of patients with advanced and metastatic prostatic carcinoma.

The quality of life of patients with advanced prostate cancer may be profoundly affected by local infiltration into adjacent organs and the occurrence of distant metastases. Secondary manifestations of advanced stages of prostate cancer include urinary retention, ureteric obstruction, rectal obstruction, chronic bone pain, compression of the spinal cord, hematological dysfunction and metabolic abnormalities. This review discusses the management of these patients in order to optimize their quality of life. Suitable palliative treatment for each secondary manifestation is recommended.