Urinary Incontinence, Patient Satisfaction, and Decisional Regret after Prostate Cancer Treatment: A French National Study.

BACKGROUND: Complications of prostate cancer treatments have a substantial impact on the patient's quality of life. We evaluated the prevalence of urinary consequences and factors affecting patient satisfaction and decisional regret after treatment.

METHODS: A retrospective self-administered questionnaire was sent to all members of the National Association of Prostate Cancer Patients in France.

RESULTS: From the 226 completed questionnaires received, the following information was obtained: 110 patients underwent surgery only, 29 received radiotherapy plus hormone therapy, 28 received radiotherapy only, and 49 received other combination treatments. The median follow-up period was 58.1 months. After treatment, the presence of urinary incontinence was reported by 34.5% of patients treated by radical prostatectomy, by 10.3% treated by radiotherapy plus hormone therapy, by 17.8% treated by curitherapy or radiotherapy only, and by 38.7% treated by other combination therapy (p = 0.01). The main reasons for decisional regret were the fact that patients received incomplete information about prostate cancer (40%) and consequences of treatment that affected the urinary system (34%). The information received about cancer was considered complete in 32.3% of the satisfied group and 14.3% of the decisional regret group (p = 0.003) and with regard to urinary incontinence the information received was considered complete in 41.4 and 17.4% respectively (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: Urinary consequences of prostate cancer treatment are common and impact the quality of life. Patients need clear information to be able to participate in therapeutic decision-making and to avoid subsequent decisional regret.