Viagra Effective Over Long Term for Prostate Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy

Newswise — Viagra effectively treats erectile dysfunction for years after prostate cancer patients receive radiation therapy, according to the first study to look at the effectiveness of the medication in a large number of patients over an extended time period. Four years after undergoing 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) and brachytherapy for prostate cancer, the medication successfully treated ED in seventy-five percent of patients. The new study was presented on October 20 at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City.

"Other studies have reported on the initial effectiveness of Viagra for prostate cancer patients receiving radiation therapy, but there was scant information on the continued use and effectiveness of the medication for longer periods of time," said senior author Michael J. Zelefsky, M.D., Chief of Brachytherapy at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

From 1998 to 2002, the trial followed 363 prostate cancer patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center who received 3D-CRT and brachytherapy. The patients had normal erectile function before therapy, and all experienced some degree of ED after treatment.

Among patients who reported success with the drug after the initial trial, 96 percent continued to use and find the medication effective. Higher external beam radiation doses were associated with decreased efficacy of Viagra.

"The good news for men facing therapy for prostate cancer is that Viagra does not seem to lose its effectiveness over time," Dr. Zelefsky concluded. "As more younger patients opt for non-surgical approaches, ED is obviously an important issue."

The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with 7,000 members who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As a leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the Society's mission is to advance the practice of radiation oncology by promoting excellence in patient care, providing opportunities for educational and professional development, promoting research and disseminating research results and representing radiation oncology in a rapidly evolving socioeconomic healthcare environment.