Photo Credit: Shivendu Jauhari
The following is a summary of “Prospective Multicenter Comprehensive Survey on Male Sexual Dysfunction following Laparoscopic, Robotic, and Transanal Approaches for Rectal Cancer (the LANDMARC Study),” published in the October 2024 issue of Surgery by Numata et al.
Male sexual dysfunction (SD) significantly impacts the QOL following rectal cancer surgery.
Researchers conducted a prospective study investigating the incidence of male SD, including erectile dysfunction (ErD) and ejaculatory dysfunction (EjD), after minimally invasive rectal cancer surgery.
They involved 399 patients who experienced laparoscopic (Lap), robotic (Ro), or transanal (Ta) rectal cancer surgery in a multicenter open-label phase II trial. The ErD and EjD were assessed using the Erection Hardness Score (EHS) and custom questionnaires at 3, 6, and 12 months.
The results showed that at 12 months, the overall incidences of Ejd and ErD were 29.8% and 34.7%. The robotic surgery group had a significantly lower EjD rate (25.0%) compared to the Lap group (40.9%), with no significant difference in ErD (P=NS). Potency impairment was less in the Ro group at 6 months (32.7% vs. 22.3%; P<0.05) and 12 months (29.0% vs. 17.8%; P<0.05). The Ta group exhibited relatively high rates of ErD and EjD at 3 months, with recovery by 12 months.
They concluded that minimally invasive rectal cancer surgery leads to ErD, EjD, and impaired potency, highlighting the demand for thorough estimations of sexual function to improve patient care.
