RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Radical prostatectomy (RP) is one of the most common therapeutic strategies for treating localized prostate cancer (PCa). Currently, the significance of postoperative functional limitations for affected patients in the long-term course, especially in comparison to age-related comorbidities, is unclear. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence of subjective health restrictions alongside functional deficits in long-term PCa survivors after RP and their relevance for subjective impairments in everyday life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using the German version of the Self-Administered Comorbidity Questionnaire (SCQ-D), 3173 long-term survivors after RP reported their comorbidities in 13 predefined categories and in 3 free-text fields along the dimensions "problem," "treatment," and "impairment". RESULTS: The mean age at survey was 79.5 years (standard deviation, SD⯱â¯6.4), with a mean time since RP of 17.4 years (SD⯱ 3.7). The three most frequently identified comorbidities/percentage of patients who felt impaired were: hypertension (62.2%/8.5%), back pain (44.1%/54.5%), and osteoarthritis (36.1%/54.1%). The most frequently mentioned additional health problems can be subsumed under the umbrella term "urological problems" (6.1%/72.7%): incontinence (4.8%/74.3%), bladder problems (1.1%/61.8%), and erectile dysfunction (0.5%/47.1%). CONCLUSION: In summary, non-cancer-related comorbidities in the long-term course after RP are often perceived as "problems" but rarely lead to subjective impairment. In contrast, treatment-related urological problems are rarely reported as "problems", but they very often lead to subjective impairment in everyday life.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer (PC)-related anxiety is associated with clinically significant declines in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological well-being. This longitudinal study investigates course and predictors of PC-related anxiety in long-term PC survivors treated by radical prostatectomy (RP). METHODS: Two thousand nine hundred and three survivors from the multicenter German Familial PC Database completed the Memorial Anxiety Scale for PC on average 11 years after RP at the initial assessment in 2015 and then 5 years later. Hierarchical multiple linear regression was used to assess predictors of PC-related anxiety at follow-up. RESULTS: PC-related anxiety remained stable over the 5 years. In hierarchical multiple linear regression, longitudinal predictors of PC-related anxiety 5 years later included a lower level of education (beta: -0.035, p = 0.019), biochemical recurrence (BCR; beta: 0.054, p = 0.002), late BCR (beta: 0.054, p < 0.001), PC anxiety at initial assessment (beta: 0.556, p < 0.001), HRQoL (beta: -0.076, p < 0.001), depression and anxiety symptoms (beta: 0.072, p = 0.001; beta: 0.165, p < 0.001). Predictors of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) anxiety 5 years later included late BCR (beta: 0.044, p = 0.019), PSA anxiety at initial assessment (beta: 0.339, p < 0.001), depression and anxiety symptoms (beta: 0.074, p = 0.008; beta: 0.191, p < 0.001), and treatment decision regret (beta: 0.052, p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: PC-related anxiety remains a burden to survivors many years after diagnosis and treatment. The respective disease-specific anxiety was the strongest predictor of this anxiety 5 years later, which emphasizes the need of screening and monitoring in a timely manner for PC-related anxiety. Treating urologists should screen, identify, and monitor patients at risk for targeted referrals to psychosocial services.