ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY-OF-LIFE AFTER RADICAL RADIOTHERAPY FOR PROSTATE-CANCER

Objective To assess the quality of life (QoL) of patients with localiz ed prostate cancer (LPC) after treatment by radical radiotherapy (RR). Patients and methods An 'ad hoc' self-administered questionnaire was developed, which comprised a series of 41 items grouped into seven sub scales reflecting the main QoL domains, and the questionnaire's psycho metric properties were assessed. A consecutive series of 118 patients treated with RR for LPC from 1981 to 1994 were then selected for a ret rospective study and asked to complete the questionnaire. Results Nine ty patients (76%) completed the questionnaire; because 20 of them were also treated with hormonal therapy, QoL was assessed only in the rema ining 70 patients, to avoid confusion. The assessment of the psychomet ric properties showed that the questionnaire was valid and reliable (C ronbach's alpha coefficient >0.8 for each subscale). The main side-eff ects of RR were urinary symptoms and sexual impairment, while physical , psychological and relational well-being were good. The degree of inf ormation available about the therapy and the disease seemed to play a major role in the patients' QoL adjustment after RR.Conclusion The stu dy assessed a sample of patients with LPC treated with RR and showed t hat QoL was acceptable after RR. Prospective studies are needed to imp rove knowledge of the factors involved in the restoration of the QoL a fter therapy for LPC.