skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Study of penile circulation before and after radiation in patients with prostate cancer and its effect on impotence

Journal Article · · Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States)

Decrease in penile blood flow has been implicated as the cause of erectile impotence in patients receiving pelvic irradiation. To determine any changes in the penile circulation secondary to pelvic irradiation, the authors measured the penile blood flow before and 6-9 months following completion of irradiation in six patients with prostate cancer. None of these patients had hormonal manipulation. The non-invasive techniques of Penile Brachial Index (PBI) and Penile Flow Index (PFI) were used to study penile circulation. Two patients developed impotence 2 to 4 1/2 months following completion of irradiation. There was no significant change in penile blood flow following irradiation in any of the six patients studied. The etiology of post-irradiation impotence is probably multifactorial and it may be an oversimplification to attribute it to a single organic cause.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA
OSTI ID:
5355397
Journal Information:
Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States), Vol. 11:6
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Penile xenon (/sup 133/Xe) washout: a rapid method of screening for vasculogenic impotence
Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984 · Urology (Ridgewood, N.J.); (United States) · OSTI ID:5355397

There Is No Correlation Between Erectile Dysfunction and Dose to Penile Bulb and Neurovascular Bundles Following Real-Time Low-Dose-Rate Prostate Brachytherapy
Journal Article · Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics · OSTI ID:5355397

Penile bulb dose and impotence after three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for prostate cancer on RTOG 9406: Findings from a prospective, multi-institutional, phase I/II dose-escalation study
Journal Article · Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2004 · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics · OSTI ID:5355397