Re: Erectile Function after Prostate Brachytherapy

摘要

This paper reports data on 128 patients who were potent before undergoing permanent prostate bra- chytherapy for prostate cancer. Potency was defined as a score of >=13 on the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). The 3-yr actuarial rate of potency preservation was 50.5%. The correlation between potency status after brachytherapy and dose received by the penile bulb and crura was analyzed. On multivariate analysis, the dose to the penile bulb was not significantly correlated to the potency status after brachytherapy. However, the dose delivered to 50% of the proximal crura and the preimplant potency were significantly correlated to erectile function after brachytherapy. The authors concluded that because the proximal penis is the most significant predictor of erectile dysfunction (ED) after brachytherapy, refinements in implant techniques would minimize the radiation dose to the penis and achieve potency preservation.