Five year expanded prostate cancer index composite-based quality of life outcomes after prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer.

Objective: To document the Expanded Prostate cancer Index Composite (EPIC) results for men followed for 5 years after radical prostatectomy.
Patients and Methods: EPIC and demographic information were prospectively obtained from 434 patients who received questionnaires preoperatively and 1, 4, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months postoperatively. Paired t-tests compared scores at individual time points. Percentage return to baseline was calculated at all postoperative time points and multivariate analyses evaluated postoperative trends.
Results: The mean age of patients was 63.4 years. Mean urinary function and incontinence worsen after prostatectomy, with recovery stable 12 months after surgery. Mean urinary bother returned to baseline by 4 months post-prostatectomy. Some 55.8% and 77.5% of patients return to their urinary function and bother baselines, respectively, 1 year after surgery. Mean sexual function and bother both declined after surgery, with new stable baselines achieved by 24 and 36 months post-prostatectomy, respectively. Of the patients, 24.2% returned to their sexual function baseline by 24 months. No postoperative improvement was noted in mean sexual bother until the 12 months post-prostatectomy. Of the patients, 36.8% returned to their sexual bother baseline by 36 months. Minimal change was noted in the bowel and hormonal domains.
Conclusions: Mean urinary function and incontinence did not recover to preoperative baseline after prostatectomy, although it did not add distress because mean urinary bother returned to pre-prostatectomy levels. Mean sexual function declined post-prostatectomy, with continued recovery up to 24 months. Sexual bother recovered later but, once it reached a new baseline, the distress does not lessen with time, probably indicating an inability to adjust to their functional loss.
(© 2010 THE AUTHORS. JOURNAL COMPILATION © 2010 BJU INTERNATIONAL.)