Late side effects unchanged 4-8 years after radiotherapy for prostate carcinoma - A comparison with age-matched controls

BACKGROUND. The authors of this study previously evaluated pelvic irradiati on-induced late side effects in patients with localized prostatic carcinoma 4 years after external irradiation by administering a validated self-asses sment questionnaire (QUFW94), and compared the results with those of age-ma tched controls. The current study was designed to evaluate prospectively th e patients' problems 8 years after radiotherapy and to compare them with th ose reported by the same controls. METHODS. The questionnaire was sent out at a mean of 8 years (range, 72-104 months) after irradiation to 120 patients and 125 controls. For analysis o f sexual function, the patient group was divided into two subgroups, one tr eated with radiotherapy only (RT) and one group treated with radiotherapy p lus castration (RT+A). A value of >1 on a 0-10 scale indicated that the pat ient was having a problem. RESULTS, The mean age was 73 years for both patients and controls. No chang es in urinary problems were seen between the 4-year and the 8-year follow-u p in the 2 groups. Sixty percent and 54% of the patients (P = 0.096) and 24 % and 31% of the controls (P = 0.988) reported urinary problems at the 4-ye ar and 8-year follow-ups, respectively. No changes in gastrointestinal late side effects in the patient group were seen between the 4-year (65%) and t he 8-year (62%) follow-ups (P = 0.490). However, there was a decrease in in testinal problems in the control group between the 4-year (12%) and the 8-y ear (9%) follow-ups (P = 0.001). The sexual problems did not change during the two periods, in the patient groups or in the control groups. Fifty-six percent and 65% of the RT group (P = 0.052), 67% and 54% of the RT + A grou p (P = 0.555), and 27% and 33% of the control group (P = 0.243) indicated s ome kind of sexual problem at the 4-year and 8-year follow-ups, respectivel y. CONCLUSIONS. The amount of pelvic irradiation-induced urinary late side eff ects, intestinal late side effects, and sexual function, evaluated with a s elf-assessment questionnaire, did not change between 4 and 8 years after RT . The age-matched controls reported no change in urinary or sexual problems despite advanced age, but there was a reported decrease in intestinal prob lems, Cancer 1999;85:678-88. (C) 1999 American Cancer Society.