Health-Related Quality of Life up to Six Years After ¹²⁵I Brachytherapy for Early-Stage Prostate Cancer

Purpose

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after prostate brachytherapy has been extensively described in published reports but hardly any long-term data are available. The aim of the present study was to prospectively assess long-term HRQOL 6 years after ¹²⁵I prostate brachytherapy.

Methods and Materials

A total of 127 patients treated with ¹²⁵I brachytherapy for early-stage prostate cancer between December 2000 and June 2003 completed a HRQOL questionnaire at five time-points: before treatment and 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 6 years after treatment. The questionnaire included the RAND-36 generic health survey, the cancer-specific European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer core questionnaire (EORTCQLQ-C30), and the tumor-specific EORTC prostate cancer module (EORTC-PR25). A change in a score of ≥10 points was considered clinically relevant.

Results

Overall, the HRQOL at 6 years after ¹²⁵I prostate brachytherapy did not significantly differ from baseline. Although a statistically significant deterioration in HRQOL at 6 years was seen for urinary symptoms, bowel symptoms, pain, physical functioning, and sexual activity (p <.01), most changes were not clinically relevant. A statistically significant improvement at 6 years was seen for mental health, emotional functioning, and insomnia (p <.01). The only clinically relevant changes were seen for emotional functioning and sexual activity.

Conclusion

This is the first study presenting prospective HRQOL data up to 6 years after ¹²⁵I prostate brachytherapy. HRQOL scores returned to approximately baseline values at 1 year and remained stable up to 6 years after treatment. ¹²⁵I prostate brachytherapy did not adversely affect patients' long-term HRQOL.

Long-term, health-related quality of life, HRQOL, prostate cancer, ¹²⁵I brachytherapy, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer prostate cancer module