Sexual, urinary, hormonal and bowel function – a comparison between prostate cancer survivors and noncancer men

The present study compared survivors of prostate cancer (PC) to patients of similar sexes and ages that have not had prostate cancer (non-cancer controls) based on the effects of prior treatments and treatment options on sexual, urinary, bowel and hormone functions. The main finding was that PC survivors had poorer sexual and urinary functions compared to non-cancer controls 10 years after diagnosis. 

The prostate is a small gland only found in men that has the main function of helping to produce semen. It is located between the penis and the bladder and it surrounds the urethra (the tube that crosses the penis and carries urine from the bladder). PC can be treated by surgery, radiation or hormone therapy. All of these treatment methods carry the risk of significant side effects on the surrounding organs causing urinary, sexual and bowel dysfunctions, as well as problems regarding hormone levels. 

The study included 529 American cancer survivors and 514 non-cancer matches. All of the cancer survivors were between 5 and 10 years post diagnosis when enrolled and all stages of cancer were included. Treatments for urinary, bowel or sexual dysfunction were assessed along with cancer treatment details collected from medical notes. Additionally, diagnosis method was determined (diagnosis by routine screening or during normal daily care).

Results of this study showed that PC survivors had poorer sexual and urinary functions compared to the participants who had not had cancer. However, whether the cancer patients were diagnosed by routine screening or not did not contribute towards the long term effects on sexual or urinary function. When cancer treatments were compared, patients who received radical prostatectomy had poorer sexual and urinary function compared to patients who received radiation therapy. On the other hand, patients who received radiation therapy had poorer bowel function. Patients who received combination therapy including androgen deprivation (hormone therapy) had more hormone related problems compared to patients who received radical prostatectomy

In summary, the authors of this study evidenced the persistence of clinically significant, long-term PC-related side effects on urinary, sexual and bowel functions.