African-American men do well after prostatectomy

After undergoing prostate removal because of localized cancer, African-American men have better recovery of sexual and urinary function than do non-Hispanic white men, researchers report.

However, that does not mean black men were not concerned about the sexual side effects they did experience after the operation, according to a report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

"While we found that African American men had slightly better sexual function after five years, they were bothered more by problems associated with their sexual function than non-Latino white men," Dr. Ann S. Hamilton explained to Reuters Health.

Hamilton, from University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, and colleagues examined functional outcomes in the five years after diagnosis of localized prostate cancer in 1475 non-Hispanic white, 321 African-American, and 279 Hispanic men.

Nearly half the African Americans (49 percent) who underwent surgical removal of the prostate reported total urinary control after five years, the authors report, compared with only 31 percent of non-Hispanic whites.

African-American men were significantly more likely than non-Hispanic white men to report having erections firm enough for intercourse, the study found. African-American men also had higher sexual function scores, but they were more likely to report moderate to big problems with sexual function than non-Hispanic whites were.

"There may be racial/ethnic differences in perceiving functional limitations among men in the different groups, and this is an area in need of further study." the investigators write.

"Physicians should be especially aware of these consequences with their patients," Hamilton added, "and take additional care in offering methods to deal with these problems."

Among men who underwent radiation treatment for their prostate cancer, there were no significant racial/ethnic group differences in sexual or urinary function after five years, the researchers note.

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology, October 15, 2004.