PITTSBURGH, Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Men battling
prostate cancer who receive Image Guided Intensity Modulated
Radiation Therapy after undergoing prostatectomy have an excellent
chance of retaining sexual function, according to a study by
Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) cancer specialists presented this
week at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic
Radiation and Oncology in San Diego.
Each year in the United States about 200,000 men are diagnosed
with prostate cancer. It is the second most common cancer among
men, second only to skin cancer. Most men with prostate
cancer are over age 65, and the disease disproportionately strikes
African-American men.
“Any cancer diagnosis can impact quality of life, but a prostate
cancer diagnosis can be particularly difficult for men because
impotence is a common side effect of treatment,” said Russell
Fuhrer, MD. “While recent improvements have made loss of potency
less common after prostate cancer therapy, men must still take this
complication into account as they decide on a treatment plan.”
The AGH study, “Preservation of Sexual Function After High-Dose
Post Prostatectomy Image Guided Intensity-Modulated Radiation
Therapy (IMRT),” looked at 33 patients who underwent prostate
removal surgery using open or robotic nerve-sparing techniques,
followed by Image Guided IMRT radiotherapy.
Image Guided IMRT is an advanced type of radiotherapy in which
computer-controlled linear accelerators direct radiation precisely
to the tumor, sparing surrounding healthy tissues. Used extensively
to treat prostate cancer, Image guided IMRT allows a higher, more
focused and effective dose of radiation to the tumor.
Before radiotherapy, the men assessed their sexual function
using a self-administered questionnaire called SHIM, Sexual Health
Inventory for Men. For men who qualified as potent, researchers
again used the SHIM test to measure their potency after
radiotherapy
‘/>”/>
