Urinary continence after salvage radiation therapy following radical prostatectomy, assessed by a self-administered questionnaire: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate urinary continence after salvage radiotherapy following radical prostatectomy (RP) for clinically localized prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In all, 145 men had a retropubic RP in our department between 1992 and 2000. From this group, salvage radiotherapy with the dose of 65 Gy was given to 18 patients for a rising prostatic specific antigen (PSA) level. The mean (range) age at RP was 63 (50-72) years and the initial PSA level 14.95 (4.8-34) ng/mL. The radiotherapy was given at 46 (6-96) months after RP. A self-administered questionnaire about their urinary status was mailed to the patients before and 18 months after radiotherapy. The mean follow-up after radiotherapy was 34 (20-70) months.
RESULTS: Before radiotherapy, 17 patients were continent (defining continence as no regular use of pads). After salvage radiotherapy, 16 men had had no change in their urinary status, even for the one patient using pads. One patient with stress urinary incontinence showed a slight worsening of his urinary status after radiotherapy. Another patient who was continent before radiotherapy developed urgency with no urinary leakage. Fourteen men stated that they were very satisfied or satisfied about their urinary status after radiotherapy and four were mildly satisfied. Nine would undergo radiotherapy again even with their present continence status and nine probably would.
CONCLUSION: Using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire, salvage radiotherapy for a rising PSA level seems to be safe and does not worsen the continence achieved after RP in most patients.