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Men with advanced prostate cancer have been found to experience significantly more gastrointestinal and sexual issues, along with problems with incontinence, when they undergo local therapies such as radiation therapy or radical prostatectomy according to a retrospective cohort study in JAMA Network Open.
The study also indicated that these effects are often experienced for up to 5 years after treatment was administered, more so than in those who receive systemic treatment.
This issue is of great concern, as over 75% of men who underwent the local therapy experienced at least one of these long-lasting side effects, compared to around 67% of those who opted for systemic therapy. Additionally, this study suggests that the symptoms may persist even up to 5 years after treatment.
Despite these side effects, the role of local therapy in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer has been a source of debate for many years. However, even with the potential survival advantage of local therapy, the impact on the quality of life for these men is now being brought into question.
To better understand this, the researchers undertook a study with 5500 US veterans who were diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer between January 1999 and December 2013. The findings serve as a crucial reminder of the importance of considering quality of life factors when evaluating treatment options.