What happened? Sexual consequences of prostate cancer and its treatment
TEXT: pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articl … id=1479526
PDF: pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picren … obtype=pdf
Interesting article in that it notes what happens to men’s sexual functioning after Prostatectomy (removal) or androgen deprivation therapy (ie, Finasteride).
Selected bits:
Erectile dysfunction related to androgen deprivation therapy
… The sexual consequences are global: loss of interest in sex as well as ED… Among men with some sexual interest at baseline, 54% reported no interest at 1 year. Among men with erections at baseline, 80% had ED after 1 year (level II evidence). In another study, 91% of men were found to have ED after androgen deprivation therapy (level II evidence).
Treatment of ED related to radiation therapy
… Lack of erectile activity after therapy might cause chronic hypoxia in the corporal smooth muscle of the penis with a subsequent loss of elasticity and distensibility, which could lead to venous leak. This fibrosis is also believed to cause penile shortening, observed in 68% of men after surgery (level II evidence).
Using oral therapy, such as sildenafil [Viagra], to promote erections, with or without sexual activity, on a regular basis is suggested to preserve or improve erectile functioning (level III evidence).
Fifty-five percent of men taking sildenafil 39 months after treatment with external beam radiation were able to have sexual intercourse (level I evidence).