Posted 9/27/2015 4:52 PM (GMT 0)
Posted on the New Prostate Cancer Info Link:
Assessment of erectile function in the trials was carried out through use of either the Sexual Encounter Profile (SEP) (in eight of the trials) and/or the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) (also in eight of the 11 trials). Here is what Schauer and his colleagues report:
The rates of positive response to SEP3 (i.e., erectile function sufficient for successful intercourse) in the control arms of the eight trials using this evaluation ranged from 20 percent in 1997 through 10 percent in 2003, 19 percent in 2004, 25 percent in 2008, 21 percent in 2010, 67 percent in 2011, 10 percent in 2013, to 22 percent in 2014.
The rates of positive responses to the IIEF-EF in the control arms of the eight trials using this evaluation ranged from 9.2 in 2003 through 13.3 in 2004, 8.8 in 2008, 25 and ≥ 22.0 in 2008, 17.4 in 2010, 58 and ≥ 26.0 in 2011, 9.3 in 2013, to 11.6 in 2014.
The authors conclude that their analysis suggests that (a) the rate of undisturbed erectile function is in the range 20 to 25 percent in most studies and that (b) these rates have not substantially improved or changed over the past 17 years.
In other words, any improvements in the quality of surgery over the past 17 years, on their own, have really been having a very limited impact on the quality of erectile/sexual function for radical prostatectomy patients over most of the past 20 years.
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