Pelvic Floor Muscles Training After Radical Prostatectomy.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a malignant tumor commonly diagnosed among men in the USA and Europe. About 81% of cases of prostate cancer are detected early on, which allows patients to receive effective treatment. High risk cancer patients may undergo radical prostatectomy (RP) which includes the removal of the entire prostate gland together with both seminal vesicles, prostatic urethra, and bilateral pelvic lymph nodes. Even though RP has been improved over decades, patients are still at risk of surgical and post-surgical complications. The most common complications include urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Pelvic floor muscle training is recognized as the physiotherapeutic modality for the treatment of urinary incontinence in men after radical prostatectomy. This method is recommended by the European Association of Urology. However, the literature analysis and systematic review carried out by our team prove that there are relatively few clinical trials with a well-developed research protocol assessing this form of therapy. In order to objectify the effects of therapy, we will assess both psychosocial aspects, as well as try to answer the question whether biochemical parameters can be a marker of pelvic floor muscles. In previous own research, we obtained promising results by examining biochemical parameters during pelvic floor muscle activity in women with stress urinary incontinence.

The subject of the study is to assess the impact of physiotherapeutic intervention in the form of pelvic floor muscle training in patients after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. A randomized control trials will be carried out on a group of about 300 people (men over 40 years of age) before and after radical prostatectomy. The examined people will be divided into 4 groups and will be assessed before and after surgery: 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. All participants in the study will undergo tests such as: urodynamic, biochemical, MRI, standardized questionnaires regarding the quality of life, physiotherapeutic assessment, histopathological assessment, and cancer progression assessment.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* patients diagnosed with prostate cancer qualified for surgery
* patients who underwent radical prostatectomy
* 40-85 years of age.
* patients who gave their written consent to participate in the study
* patient's joining the program will always be preceded by a medical consultation and exclusion of contraindications to therapy
* patients able to understand Polish.

Exclusion Criteria:

* classical retropubic operation,
* classical perineal surgery,
* operation assisted by daVinci robot,
* partial prostate surgery,
* transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP),
* the research will not involve incapacitated persons, soldiers of the basic service, persons deprived of their liberty and remaining in official or other dependence with the persons conducting the examination,
* patient's disagreement to participate in pelvic floor muscle training
* intraoperative and postoperative complications preventing the introduction of early rehabilitation ((damage to the external sphincter, urinary tract infection, bladder neck narrowing),
* prostate cancer recurrence,
* no incontinence after surgery,
* urinary incontinence before surgery,
* previous prostate surgery.