RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF SEXUALITY AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN PATIENTS WITHPROSTATIC SYMPTOMS - RESULTS OF AN INTERNATIONAL STUDY

Objective: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and its treatment can im pair the quality of life (QoL) of patients with the condition. Among t he BPH-specific instruments available for assessing QoL, no consensus has emerged on the concepts that should be measured, particularly for aspects of sexual life. The objective of this study was to determine w hich aspects of QoL were most affected by prostatic symptoms and which patients considered the most important. Method: After an extensive li terature review, we drew up a self-administered questionnaire composed of an exhaustive list of concepts found in the available QoL/BPH meas ures. In a cross-sectional study, 73 French and 44 English patients wi th an International Prostate Score (I-PSS)>7 were asked to fill in thi s 89-item questionnaire. The level of interference of the symptoms wit h each aspect of QoL and the importance of the problem were reported b y the patients. Results: The aspects reported to be most affected and to be the most important were sleep, anxiety and worry about the disea se, mobility, leisure, daily activities, sexual activities and satisfa ction with sexual relationships. French patients considered all sexual aspects of life more important than English patients. Conclusion: Thi s study confirms that QoL is an important outcome in BPH. The major co ncepts identified by the patients to be important include sexual ones. These results suggest the importance of including the assessment of s exual functioning and behavior in any further evaluations of BPH treat ments effects on QoL.