Most men who undergo radiation therapy (RT) for prostate cancer will develop anejaculation, a new study shows.
Doron Stember, MD, a urology fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, reported the results of a study looking at the ejaculation profiles of 364 men who underwent RT for prostate cancer.
“Anejaculation is an inevitable and well-recognized sequela of radical prostatectomy and may represent a significant source of bother and sexual dissatisfaction,” Dr. Stember said. “Loss of ejaculation or a severe decrease in ejaculate volume has been associated with a self-reported deterioration in sexual activity.”
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There is a lack of published data on post-RT ejaculatory function, and the data that have been published are contradictory, he added.
Overall, 16% of men reported anejaculation at one year, 69% at three years, and 89% at five years.
Further analysis revealed that orgasm domain scores on a widely validated sexual function questionnaire decreased markedly throughout follow-up.
“Since most men after prostate RT will experience anejaculation, patients should be counseled accordingly before undergoing therapy,” Dr. Stember said.
