Unregistered User If this is not your name, click here.
		Contact Us | Order Now | Journals | Bookstore | Register a colleague
	Select a ChannelAcneAIDS and HIVAllergy OtherAlzheimer'sAnaesthesiology OtherAngina Pectoris/MIAnxietyArthritis OtherAsthmaBack PainBacterial InfectionsBladder CancerBone Marrow TransplantationBreast CancerCardiology OtherCataractCell TransplantationCervical CancerCholesterol/Lipid disordersCirrhosisClinical PharmacologyColorectal CancerCongestive Heart FailureContact DermatitisContraceptionCOPDCystic FibrosisDental and Oral DisordersDepressionDermatology OtherDiabetesDialysisEating DisordersElbowEmergency MedicineEndocrinology OtherEpilepsyErectile DysfunctionFibromyalgiaGastro OtherGeneticsGenitourinary OtherGeriatricsGERD/GastritisGlaucomaH. Pylori/UlcerHaematology OtherHair LossHeadachesHepa/Biliary OtherHepatitisHipHRTHypertensionIBDImmunologyInfectious OtherInfertilityIntensive CareIrritable Bowel SyndromeKneeLeukemiasLiver CancerLung CancerLupusLymphomasMelanomaMenopauseMultiple Sclerosis Nephrology OtherNeurologic OtherNutritional / Metabolic OtherOb/Gyn OtherObesityOncology OtherOphth. OtherOphthalmic SurgeryOrgan TransplantationOrthopaedics OtherOsteoarthritisOsteoporosisOtitisOtorhino. OtherOvarian CancerPaediatricsPainPancreatic CancerParkinson'sPregnancyProstate CancerPsychiatry OtherPulmonary OtherRadiologyRenal CancerRenal FailureRespiratory InfectionsRheumatoid arthritisRheumatology OtherRhinitisSchizophreniaShoulderSleep ApnoeaSleep DisordersSpineStrokeSTDsSurgeryThyroid DisordersTransfusionTransplant Surgery OtherTraumaUrinary IncontinenceUrinary tract infectionsVaccinologyVascular DisordersViral Infections

SEARCH   News Bookstore Medline The Web Meetings & Congresses Complete Doctor's Guide    EXPLORE :    All News   All Webcasts   All Cases   All Meetings & Congresses   All Medical Resources New drugs / indications English Dictionary Medical Dictionary Thesaurus Warning | Privacy | Awards  Favourite Journals  Click here to choose your favourite journals  Favourite Sites  Click here to choose your favourite sites  Languages  Select languageEnglishFrançais

Sexual Function Does Not Continuously Decline After Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer FAIRFAX, Va -- January 5, 2010 -- Sexual function in patients with prostate cancer receiving external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) decreases within the first 2 years after treatment but then stabilises and does not continuously decline as was previously thought, according to a study published in the January 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics. Changes in sexual function are some of the more common side effects from prostate cancer treatments, but the degree to which EBRT affects function varies widely, depending on the study. In a first of its kind study, researchers evaluated 143 patients with prostate cancer receiving EBRT who completed baseline data on sexual function before treatment and at follow-up visits. Patients were analysed on sexual drive, erectile function, ejaculatory function, and overall satisfaction for a median time of about four years. The researchers found that the strongest predictor of sexual function after treatment was sexual function before treatment and the only statistically significant decrease in function occurred in the first 2 years after treatment and then stabilised with no significant changes thereafter. “Treatment-related side effects, especially sexual function, have a significant effect on a patient’s quality of life and satisfaction with their overall outcome,” said senior author Richard Valicenti, MD, Radiation Oncology, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California. “The results of this study allow patients and their partners to have a fuller understanding of the long-term sexual side effects of EBRT and what they can expect after treatment, which should aid in deciding on a treatment course.” SOURCE: American Society for Radiation Oncology E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version