MHB5 Changes in Sexual Function and Bother in Men Treated for Prostate Cancer: Results from the Capsure™ Database

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of treatment choice radical prostatectomy (RP) with or without nerve sparing or pelvic irradiation (XRT) on sexual function and sexual bother after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical factors.
METHODS: We studied 131 men (mean age 64 ± 6.7 yrs) from the CaPSURE™ database, a longitudinal prostate cancer registry. Patients had undergone either RP or XRT and had a minimum of one year of follow-up with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) information. Covariates and sexual bother are measured with the UCLA Prostate Cancer Index on 0–100 scales (higher scores representing better outcomes), then regressed against selected independent variables.
RESULTS: Multivariable regression analysis showed that sexual function scores were significantly lower in the RP groups than in the XRT group (p < 0.001) three months after treatment. Improvement in sexual function over time was better in those undergoing RP with nerve sparing, compared to non-nerve sparing group showed a trend toward greater improvement in sexual function compared to XRT (p=0.12) Younger age was a significant predictor of sexual function and post-treatment improvement, but disease stage was not. No significant differences were found in sexual bother scores among the three treatments.
CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in sexual function are found between patients undergoing RP versus XRT for prostate cancer. Men undergoing nerve sparing RP showed greater improvements in sexual function than either XRT or non-nerve sparing RP patients. Sexual bother from dysfunction may be explained by non-treatment-related variables.     

Excision repair cross-complementing group 2/Xeroderma pigmentousm complementation group D (ERCC2/XPD) genetic variations and susceptibility to diffuse large B cell lymphoma in Egypt

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a genetically heterogeneous neoplasm. Although several genetic and environmental factors have been postulated, no obvious risk factors have been emerged for DLBCL in the general population. DNA repair systems are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the genome and protecting it against genetic alterations that can lead to malignant transformation. The current study aimed at investigating the possible role of ERCC2/XPD Arg156Arg, Asp312Asn and Lys751Gln genetic polymorphisms as risk factors for DLBCL in Egypt. The study included 81 DLBCL patients and 100 healthy controls. Genotyping of the studied genetic polymorphisms was performed by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. Our results revealed that there was no statistical difference encountered in the distribution of ?Asp312Asn and ?Lys751Gln polymorphic genotypes between DLBCL cases and controls, thus it could not considered as molecular risk factors for DLBCL in Egyptians. However, Arg156Arg polymorphism at exon-6 conferred twofold increased risk of DLBCL (OR 2.034, 95 %CI 1.015–4.35, p = 0.43), and the risk increased when co-inherited with Lys751Gln at exon-23 (OR 3.304, 95 %CI 1.113–9.812, p = 0.038). In conclusion, ERCC2/XPD Arg156Arg polymorphism might be considered as a genetic risk factor for DLBCL in Egyptians, whether alone or conjoined with Lys751Gln.