Impact of Age, Marital Status, Smoking, and Alcohol Consumption on Urinary and Sexual Function in Prostate Cancer Patients Treated With Radical Prostatectomy: A Prospective Cohort Study.

[OBJECTIVE] To examine the impact of age, marital status, smoking status, and alcohol use on urinary and sexual function up to 1 year post-radical prostatectomy (RP) among men with prostate cancer.

[METHODS] Participants were recruited from the Prostatectomy, Incontinence, and Erectile dysfunction study. Patient characteristics were assessed at baseline. Urinary and sexual function were assessed using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite-50 at baseline and 5 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months post-RP. Mean urinary and sexual function scores were calculated for each time point by patient characteristics.

[RESULTS] The cohort consisted of 311 and 286 men for urinary function and sexual function, respectively. Urinary function: At baseline, married men had significantly higher urinary function scores (P = .027). By 6 months post-RP, older (vs younger, P = .044) and unmarried men (vs married, P = .008) had significantly worse urinary function. By 12 months post-RP, these differences disappeared, with all groups returning to levels approaching baseline. Sexual function: At baseline, participants who were younger (P <.001), never-smokers (P <.001), and more frequent consumers of alcohol (P = .021) had significantly higher sexual function scores. Small improvements in sexual function occurred at 6 months post-RP. By 12 months post-RP, sexual function did not recover to baseline levels for any group and was significantly lower for older (P <.001), unmarried (P <.025), and ever-smoker participants (P = .002).

[CONCLUSION] Urinary function scores recover to levels approaching baseline by 12 months post-RP. Sexual function scores do not recover to baseline levels by 12 months post-RP for any group and are lower for participants who are older, unmarried, or smoke.