Quality of life of patients after retropubic prostatectomy - Pre- and postoperative scores of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-PR25

Abstract

BackgroundPatients with newly diagnosed early stage prostate cancer (PCa) face a difficult choice of different treatment options with curative intention. They must consider both goals of optimising quantity and quality of life. The quality of life (QoL) is a psychometric outcome which is measured using validated questionnaires. Only few data are published concerning pre - and postoperative QoL.MethodsThis study investigated pre perative QoL of 185 patients who consecutively underwent open radical retropubic prostatectomy for organ-confined PCa to postoperative QoL of another 185 patients. The EORTC QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQPR25 module and 24 h ICS pad test were used (mean follow-up 28.6 months).ResultsThe examined symptom scores of the EORTC QLQ-PR25 were on lowest level. In the dyspnoea symptom score differences of age emerged: the amount of patients who are short of breath rose significantly in older patients after surgery (p < 0.05 paired, two-tailed student's t-test).. Lastly, the urinary symptom score was found postal-therapeutically low; this fact was age independent. The results of sexual symptom score need to be taken into consideration, since prostatectomy resulted in a significant reduction of sexual activity independent of age. All functioning scales postoperatively reached high values without significant changes (p > 0.05 student's t-test ), which implies a high QoL after surgery. A reliable and satisfying status of continence was found in our patients after retropubic prostatectomy. A high rate of patients (89.2%) would choose retropubic prostatectomy again.ConclusionRetropubic prostatectomy represents a reliable and accepted procedure in the treatment of organ-confined PCa. For the first time it could be shown that patients` QoL remained on a high level after retropubic prostatectomy. Nevertheless, the primary avoidance or postoperative therapy of erectile dysfunction should be in the focus of surgeons.

Health-Related Quality of Life Changes in Prostate Cancer Patients after Radical Prostatectomy: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

“…In addition, physical, emotional, and cognitive functioning and global QOL showed significant improvement over 1 year without deterioration at 3 months. Our results, showing no negative impact on the functional scales after RP, are consistent with those of a prior German study using EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-PR25 [19] and a U.S. study using SF-36 and UCLA questionnaire [20]. For example, a longitudinal study by Litwin et al [20] reported that over 90% of RP patients reached baseline HRQOL status at postoperative 1 year.…”

Patient Reported Outcome Measure (PROM) of Quality of Life After Prostatectomy - Results from a 5-Year Study

“…Emotional functioning showed low ratings at baseline and a significant increase over the five years. This is consistent with Bach et al [ 21 ] who reported similar figures at baseline and an increase after surgery. Wallace et al reported emotions from getting the diagnosis message in a qualitative study of prostate cancer survivors as ‘shock’, ‘body blow’, ‘fear’ and ‘anger’, emotions that may well be reactions in connection with the presentation of a cancer diagnosis [ 25 ].…”

“…Jakobsson, Lovén, Hallberg (2004) and Michelsson et al (2000). In a study by Bach et al [ 21 ], ratings for QOL decreased post-operatively, which they did not do in our study. Our study represented a somewhat younger group of men with a wider age range (36-75 years).…”

Health-related quality of life after radical prostatectomy depends on patient׳s age but not on comorbidities

“…They evaluated the preoperative QoL of 185 patients and compared it with the QoL of an age-matched patient group at least 6 months after prostatectomy. The subgroup analysis of patients older than 70 years showed only a mild reduction of QoL compared with patients younger than 70 years [17].…”