Multimodal treatment for rectal cancer including RCT leads to hormone level changes and to impaired QoL and sexual functioning. However, because there was no apparent correlation between the analyzed parameters, QoL is probably also influenced by other factors, e.g., psychosocial aspects.
Objective: We aimed to evaluate whether changes in urinary and sexual function can influence health-related quality of life. Patients and Methods: Out of 54 recruited patients, 36 were enrolled, and data for 30 participants with erectile dysfunction were available. At baseline and after 1 and 2 months, each participant completed the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-15), the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36). Uroflowmetry, post-voiding residual volume and the nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) test were performed at baseline and at the study's conclusion. Results: Compared with baseline, the IPSS, IIEF-15, peak urinary flow rate, NPT parameters and mental component of the SF-36 exhibited significant improvement at the study's conclusion. Among the symptomatic parameters, the changes in the storage and erectile function parameters contributed significantly to the change in the mental component score on the SF-36 (p = 0.007, R2 = 0.502). Conclusions: The daily administration of low-dose mirodenafil (50 mg) produced improvements in urinary and erectile function with or without sexual stimulation. Furthermore, this therapy enhanced the mental component of health-related quality of life by improving storage and erectile symptoms.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.