Quality of life, voiding and sexual function of penile cancer patients: DaPeCa-10-a cross-sectional questionnaire survey

Objectives: To assess prevalence of voiding and sexual symptoms and quality of life in penile cancer patients.

Methods: From 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2015, we approached three separate groups of Danish penile cancer patients and asked them to complete a face-validated questionnaire at diagnosis (Group 1), after 1 year (Group 2) and after 2 years (Group 3). We analysed symptom prevalence and bother and quality of life items and explored differences between groups.

Results: In total, we analysed 157 questionnaires. The response rates at diagnosis, after 1 year and after 2 years were 29%, 46% and 30%. The pad use (p = 0.001) and occurrence of nocturia twice a night or more (p = 0.006) was significantly decreasing 2 years after treatment. There was an increasing trend in sexual thoughts and importance of sexuality from 1 to 2 years after treatment, but the proportion of patients reporting a frequency of orgasm at more than once in the past 6 months was significantly decreasing after treatment (p = 0.03). Likewise, the trend for erectile dysfunction worsened after treatment with 49% of patients reporting an erection never sufficient for intercourse at diagnosis increasing to 62% after 1 year and 69% after 2 years. We observed trends towards lower self-esteem with increasingly mutilating treatment.

Conclusion: Pad use, nocturia and frequency of orgasm were significantly reduced after penile cancer treatment. We observed trends towards lower self-esteem with increasingly mutilating treatment and increase in erectile dysfunction after treatment.