[Long-term adverse effects on bladder filling phase in males submitted to the pelvic radiotherapy].

OBJECTIVE

To describe and quantify the long-term adverse effects on filling phase of lower urinary tract function in males submitted to radiotherapy.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective comparative study on a cohort of 99 men undergoing EBRT a mean of 4.7 years before for clinically localized prostate, rectum or colon neoplasia, and another cohort formed by 97 men over 50 years who did not undergo radiotherapy.

RESULTS

Cystometric bladder capacity and bladder capacity at first voiding desire were significantly lower in the radiotherapy group. Univariate analysis showed that the radiotherapy group evinced a risk to present a diminished compliance of 3.5 times more and 9.3 times more to find stress urinary incontinence, but we did not found increased risk for detrusor overactivity. In multivariate analysis the history of radical surgery acted as a confounding factor in the risk of stress urinary incontinence, but not to suffer diminished bladder compliance.

CONCLUSIONS

The main long-term adverse effect of pelvic radiotherapy on male bladder function during filling is the increased risk of low bladder compliance.