Does Size Really Matter?

Drums

Regular Member

Joined : Mar 2010

Posts : 134

Posted 1/4/2013 2:22 PM (GMT 0)

It doesn't sound like this study related to penis size after surgery was very scientific. They only asked for men's opinions. Some Men Complain Of Shorter Penis After Prostate Cancer Treatment. HealthDay (1/4, Dallas) reports, "A small number of men with prostate cancer complain that their penis appears to be shorter following treatment," according to a study published in Urology. In the study, which included nearly 950 patients, researchers found that "overall, 2.6 percent of the men reported their penis was shorter following treatment." Approximately "3.7 percent of men who had had their prostate removed surgically said they thought their penis had shrunk, as did about 2.7 percent of those who had received male hormone-blocking drugs along with radiation therapy." However, no patients who had only undergone radiation therapy reported changes to penis size. http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?Aid=672128 The Daily Mail (UK) (1/4) reports, "The scientific team, led by Dr Paul Nguyen, a radiation oncologist, and medical student Arti Parekh, said it is the first study to link men's perceptions of a reduction in penis size to lowered life satisfaction, problems in emotional relationships, and misgivings about the specific form of prostate cancer treatment they chose." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2256624/Treatment-prostate-cancer-shorten-length-mans-penis.html

PeterDisAbelard.

Forum Moderator

Joined : Jul 2012

Posts : 6432

Posted 1/4/2013 4:29 PM (GMT 0)

Here's a link to the PUBMED abstract for the study.

Reduced Penile Size and Treatment Regret in Men With Recurrent Prostate Cancer After Surgery, Radiotherapy Plus Androgen Deprivation, or Radiotherapy Alone.

As usual in popular reporting of scientific studies the actual results of the study are lost in the reporting. The men included were those whose cancer had recurred after primary treatment. The percentages were the number of those men who, when asked about what they regretted about their treatment decision, took the time to mention that their Johnson had shrunk. If you think about it that two-to-three percent seems huge. These guys have been told that the treatment that they had hoped would cure them have failed to do so, and despite all the pursuant worries that come with recurrence, a significant percentage mentioned that what bothered them was that their dicks were smaller. It's really a striking result if you look at it that way.

The popular articles manage to give the impression that penile shrinkage occurs in a small percentage of men who have radical prostatectomies. Actually, it is quite common -- averaging about 1 cm in length at 3 months but some of that comes back later. The actual study wasn't about penile shrinkage, per se, but about what percentage of men chose it as the main marker for their regrets when their initial treatment fails.

HighlanderCFH

Veteran Member

Joined : Dec 2012

Posts : 677

Posted 1/5/2013 6:41 AM (GMT 0)

From what I've read, the "old wive's tale" about a shorter post-op penis stems from a misconception regarding the gap that replaces the prostate after it is removed.

Some men have, in the past, believed that the penis had to be drawn partly into the body to reach the bladder in order to reconnect the urethra. However, just the opposite is true.

The bladder can easily be repositioned and is actually moved downward to fill the prostate gap. So the bladder comes to the penis in order to reconnect the urethra.

Thus, there really is no permanent shortening of the penis due to a prostatectomy.

Chuck

7/11 PSA 6.41 (4.1 2009) DRE-BPH,no lumps PCa Dx 8/11 age 62 adenocarcinoma 3/20 cores,T2C Glea 3+3 DaVinci prostatectomy 11/1/11 Mayo Clinic, nerve sparing Dr. Matthew Tollefson-highly recommend! Pathology-tumor confined to prostate 5 lymph nodes, seminal vesicules, extraprostatic soft tissue negative 1x.6x.6 cm mass involving R post inferior, R post apex, L mid post prostate R post apex margin involved by tumor over .2 cm length
Catheter out 7 days, no incontinence
Post-op exams 2/13/12, 9/10/12, PSA <0.1

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