When facing the diagnosis of prostate cancer, for most patients, the overwhelming focus is on eradicating the disease. However once the cancer has been successfully treated, the side-effects of treatment can have a major impact on quality of life.
I have seen many patients following a prostatectomy who are very distressed by their inability to resume normal sexual intercourse. Yet frequently, at the time of diagnosis, these patients did not view impotence as a major concern when they made their choice of treatment.
It would seem that we need to do more to understand patients and their preferences when they are choosing treatment for prostate cancer and offer them a wider range of options to meet their needs.
Radical prostatectomy, which involves the complete removal of the prostate, is the treatment of choice for 30-50% per cent of patients with organ confined prostate cancer. Its appeal lies in the degree of certainty it offers in terms of removing the disease in one strike.
A traditional radical prostatectomy is undertaken using wide margins around the prostate, damaging the nerves which control the blood supply to the penis. This has been understood to be the safest way of eradicating cancer but causes impotency.
Specialised urological […]

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