Abstract
Radiation therapy (RT) as a treatment modality for prostate cancer (PC) has a known negative impact on erectile function (EF). It is believed that the use of PDE5 inhibitors (PDE5i) can help limit endothelial and smooth muscle structural changes, and, therefore, increase preservation of erectile function (EF). The aim of this study was to analyze the utility of PDE5i use on preservation of baseline EF in men undergoing RT. Men with PC treated with RT had PDE5i use recorded. Patients completed the international index of erectile function (IIEF) questionnaire pre-RT and serially at 12, 24, 36 and 48 months after treatment. Erectile function domain (EFD) scores were analyzed. PDE5i use was recorded at the same time points and was classified as never (0), sometimes (1-2) or always (≥5 days per week). Patients received brachytherapy (BT), high dose IMRT (IMRT), or a combination of the two (CT). Patients who received androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) were excluded for the purposes of this analysis. Preservation of baseline EFD scores was investigated in each PDE5i use group.
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