Quality of life after prostate cancer treatment varies by the type of treatment patients receive, a new study reveals.

In the study of 5727 patients, published in BJU International, sexual function declined with all treatment modalities, with the steepest decline after surgery.

Open surgery to remove the prostate was linked with more decline than robotic surgery.

Robotic surgery patients experienced a higher return of sexual function, approaching that of patients who received brachytherapy (radioactive implants) and radiation at 24 months.

The outcomes of robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) compared to open surgery were considered alongside the growing trend for robotic surgery in oncology in a recent ecancer review.

Urinary incontinence also declined the most for surgical patients, with robotic surgery patients improving slightly more than open surgery patients at 12 to 24 months.

"We hope our patient-reported outcomes and the comprehensive data collection in this cancer registry study will not only shed light on better patient counselling and care, but also better tracking of outcomes measurements in today's healthcare climate," said Dr. Gary Chien, lead author of the study.

Source: BJU International