Conditions: Prostate Cancer Erectile Dysfunction
Keywords: Prostate Cancer Cancer of the Prostate Prostate Neoplasms Prostatic Cancer Viagra 05-007
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 290
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Radiation sometimes affects the ability for a person to have a normal erection. Complete loss of erections after radiation treatment can happen in 40-50% of treated patients. There are medications, like sildenafil (also known as Viagra), that can help the ability to get back erections in almost 70% of such patients.

The purpose of this study is to see if taking Viagra every day starting right before, during and for about 6 months after treatment, could reduce the risk of long-term erectile dysfunction.

Detailed description:
This protocol is a randomized prospective study comparing prophylactic and on demand Sildenafil Citrate usage administered during and after radiotherapy in combination with or without hormone therapy versus radiotherapy alone for the preservation of erectile function in potent patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. The primary objectives of this protocol are to determine if prophylactic and on demand usage of Sildenafil Citrate can preserve spontaneous erectile function as well as diminish the time to restoration of erectile function in potent men receiving radiotherapy with or without hormone therapy for localized prostate cancer. Secondary objectives of this study are: to determine whether prophylactic and on demand use of Sildenafil Citrate during therapy may improve the long-term response to the drug following treatment; to determine whether prophylactic and on demand use of Sildenafil Citrate during therapy will reduce acute and late urinary effects of radiotherapy; to determine the impact of dosimetry and radiation exposure to both the neurovascular bundle and bulb of the penis on erectile function preservation in the study population undergoing brachytherapy and hormone therapy; to asses the impact on quality of life following prophylactic and on demand Sildenafil Citrate usage in the study population; to determine the relationship between testosterone levels, erectile function and efficacy of prophylactic and on demand Sildenafil Citrate usage in the study population.

Arms:
arm 1: radiotherapy with hormones, questionaire assessments arm 2: radiotherapy without hormones, questionaire assessments

Interventions: intervention 1: sildenafil citrate and questionaires intervention 2: placebo tablets and questionaires
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Hormone therapy patients will be instructed to begin the study drug simultaneously or within 1 month of start of hormone therapy. These patients will then continue to take the study drug for approximately 6 months following start of radiotherapy.In addition, during prophylactic phase (drug and placebo prophylactic arms) patients will have the opportunity to utilize oral 50 mg. tablets of Sildenafil Citrate in an on demand open label, flexible dose fashion. Hormone patients will be offered on demand Sildenafil for approximately 15-21 months.

Hormone therapy patients will complete assessments at baseline (within 4 weeks of start of study treatment) each month (only IIEF and QOL) before start of radiotherapy, at start of radiotherapy and at months 3, 6, 9, 12 18 and 24 from start of radiotherapy. Testosterone assessments will take place at baseline, and months 12 and 24. intervention 2: Non-hormone therapy patients will be instructed to begin the study drug 3 days prior to start of radiotherapy. Patients beginning study drug anytime between 3 days before start of radiotherapy and 2 weeks after the first day of radiotherapy will also be acceptable. These patients will then continue to take the study drug for approximately 6 months following start of radiotherapy.

In addition, during prophylactic phase (drug and placebo prophylactic arms) patients will have the opportunity to utilize oral 50 mg. tablets of Sildenafil Citrate in an on demand, open label, flexible dose fashion. Non-hormone patients will be offered on demand Sildenafil for approximately 12 months.

Assessments (IIEF, IPSS, QOL) will be completed by non-hormone therapy patients at baseline (within 4 weeks of start of study treatment) and at approximately months 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 from start of radiotherapy. Testosterone assessments will take place at baseline, and months 12 and 24.

Protocol document: