Intensity-modulated radiotherapy to the pelvis and androgen deprivation in men with locally advanced prostate cancer: a study of adverse effects and their relation to quality of life

Abstract

Background: To study, adverse effects, quality of life (QoL), fatigue, and mental distress when intensity-modulated radiotherapy combined with androgen deprivation was applied to the whole pelvis as management of men with locally advanced prostate cancer.

Methods: In this prospective follow-up study 91 patients were treated by modern pelvic intensity-modulated radiotherapy and followed for 12 months. The patients completed a questionnaire with well-established instruments for adverse effects on urinary, bowel, and sexual function and bother, QoL, fatigue, and mental distress before treatment, and at 3 and 12 months follow-up.

Results: After pelvic intensity-modulated radiotherapy the mean levels of sexual urinary and bowel function and bother were significantly reduced from baseline. Only urinary bother improved from 3 to 12-month follow-up. The levels of fatigue and QoL increased significantly from baseline to 3-month. Mental distress, fatigue, and QoL were significantly associated with both urinary and bowel function and bother at most time points, while so was not observed for sexual bother and function.

Conclusions: Men treated with pelvic intensity-modulated radiotherapy and androgen deprivation have significant reductions of all types of function and bother at 3 months, with minimal improvement to 12 months except for urinary bother. Fatigue possibly due to pelvic intensity-modulated radiotherapy increased at follow-ups.