PDE5 Inhibitors After Prostatectomy Associated With Biochemical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer: Study
Men who take phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors after radical prostatectomy could be at greater risk for biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer, German scientists report.
They added that their results "need to be interpreted with caution" and called for further research.
In the past, it has been suggested that PDE5 inhibitors could slow down prostate cancer tumor growth and metastasis. So the findings in this study were unexpected.
The researchers looked at data from 4,752 patients with localized prostate cancer. All of them had a bilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. About 23% of the men took a PDE5 inhibitor; the rest did not.
After a median follow-up of 60 months, the researchers found that the estimated 5-year biochemical recurrence-free survival rate was 89.2% for the men who did not use a PDE5 inhibitor. But the rate was 84.7% for those who did.
"An explanation of this finding is difficult and can only be speculative at present," the authors wrote.
The study was published online last September in The Journal of Urology. Please click here for more details.
New ISSM Member Profile Features Dr. David Ralph, ESSM President
Dr. David Ralph of London is the focus of our latest ISSM Member Profile.
Dr. Ralph is the president of the European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM). He currently practices at the St. Peter's Andrology Centre and the Institute of Urology at University College, London.
After earning his medical degree at St. Bartholomew's Hospital and the University of London, Dr. Ralph trained in general orthopaedics and vascular surgery. From there, he trained in urology at Middlesex Hospital, the Institute of Urology, and Leeds.
Dr. Ralph joined the ISSM in 1992. "It is important to belong to a society where you can discuss your work with others and learn new aspects to take home and benefit your patients," he said.
He added, "London is a multicultural city and so I do benefit in learning from a multicultural society like ISSM."
Please click here to read more about Dr. Ralph. You can also learn more about other ISSM members here.
New Research Examines Peyronie's Disease Questionnaire
We're pleased to announce that a new research summary has been posted to the ISSM website.
"Responsiveness of the Peyronie’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ)" by Karin S. Coyne PhD, MPH; Brooke M. Currie MPH; Christine L. Thompson BS; and Ted M. Smith PhD discusses the use of this assessment tool in two clinical trials.
The study was first published online in February in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. The summary is available here.
|
