WHAT WERE YOU TOLD?

Men contemplating surgery for prostate cancer are usually aware of the potential side effects of erectile dysfunction (the failure to achieve an erection) and incontinence - leakage of urine, although they may be provided with misleading information regarding these issues.

They seem to be less aware of other common side effects, notably,

CLIMACTURIA (the leakage of urine at climax),

PEYRONIE'S DISEASE (a bend developing in the erect penis)

CHANGE IN SIZE (loss of length or girth in the erect penis).

A MiniPoll in February/March 2010 was intended to gain some idea of how many men were told of these three possible side effects before they had surgery and what, if any, problems arose from them.

The first question asked how many men had been told of these three issues before their surgery. Seventy men responded to the poll and only three (4%) had been given any information on all three issues. 76% (53 men) had not been told anything and 20% (14 men) had been told something about some of these side effects.

Forty eight men (68%) responded to the question as to whether they had been affected by these side effects. 20% said that they had none of the side effects, 15% of the respondent said they had all three and 65% said they had some of them after their surgery.

Twenty six men (37%) responded to the question concerning climacturia. Half of the respondents said that it bothered them or their partners sometimes: most of the others said it was no problem or no bother: one man said he and his partner found the experience quite pleasant in the absence of ejaculate.

Fifteen (21%) men reported that they had Peyronie's Disease, but only one of the men said that this made intercourse uncomfortable in certain positions. All the other men said it was no problem for them or their partner.

Forty two (60%) men reported that they had lost length and or girth in their penis. Approximately one third reported that they estimated the loss at less than 10%: one third a loss of 10% and one third a loss of more than 10%.

The last question asked men if, had they known of these side efects, they would have considered other forms of treatement, chosen Active Surveillance or still gone ahead with surgery. Forty eight (68%) men replied and 80% said they would still have chosen surgery, whilst 17% said they would consider other treatments. None of the men would have considered Active Surveillance.

The MiniPoll has no scientific basis but may be an added bit of information for men considering surgery as their choice of trearment.