Introduction: This study was designed to evaluate the quality of life after external beam radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer using the UCLA/RAND Cancer Prostate Index questionnaire.
Material and methods: An accurate translation of the questionnaire was retrospectively sent to 108 patients treated for localized prostate cancer by exclusive external beam radiotherapy between 1989 and 1999. The reference values adopted for comparison were those observed by Litwin in a control population without prostate cancer. Patient subgroups were constituted according to the presence or absence of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy and laboratory signs of progression (ASTRO).
Results: The response rate was 61.1%, the mean age of the patients was 71.9 years and the mean follow-up was 46.5 months. The percentage of patients "living in a couple" or with "a serious relationship" was 93.4% Three quarters of the population declared that they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the treatment performed. General quality of life scores were comparable to those of Litwin's control population. A functional alteration and decreased tolerance of impairment were observed, in decreasing order, for the sexual, gastrointestinal and urinary factors.
Conclusion: External beam radiotherapy essentially alters quality of life related to gastrointestinal and sexual functions, while the only aspect of urinary function studied by this questionnaire is continence.