Benefit:
- Surgery removes the cancer cells with the removal of the prostate. If the cancer cells were all inside the prostate, this is likely to cure you of the disease.
Urinary function:
- At 6 months, problems with urinary continence were reported in 71 out of 100 patients
- At 6 years, problems with urinary continence were reported in 69 out of 100 patients
- At 6 months, moderate to severe urinary incontinence problems were reported in 19 out of 100 patients
- At 6 years, moderate to severe urinary incontinence problems were reported in 13 out of 100 patients
Bowel function:
- At 6 months, problems with faecal incontinence more than once per week were reported in 1 out of 100 patients
- At 6 years, problems with faecal incontinence more than once per week were reported in 2 out of 100 patients
- At 6 months, moderate to severe impact of bowel habits on quality of life was reported in 3 out of 100 patients
- At 6 years, moderate to severe impact of bowel habits on quality of life was reported in 3 out of 100 patients
Sexual function:
- At 6 months, moderate or severe problems with sexual function were reported in 66 out of 100 patients
- At 6 years, moderate or severe problems with sexual function were reported in 50 out of 100 patients
The information given on side effects is taken from the NICE guidelines and is based on evidence from a large UK trial (ProtecT).