PDE-5 inhibitors increase risk of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to a new study published in The Journal of Urology, researchers have found that taking phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors following radical prostatectomy is associated with an elevated risk of biochemical recurrence.

Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors include sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil, and are indicated for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension and erectile dysfunction. 

Researchers at University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany, sought to investigate the effect of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors on biochemical recurrence following a radical prostatectomy in patients with prostate cancer.

Researchers analyzed data from nearly 5,000 patients with localized prostate cancer who underwent bilateral nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy. Of those, 23.4% used phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors following surgery. 

During a median follow-up of 60.3 months, there was a 5-year biochemical recurrence-free survival of 84.7% in the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor group compared with 89.2% in the nonphosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor group. Multivariate analysis showed that phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor use was an independent risk factor for biochemical recurrence (HR = 1.38).