A systematic review of expanded XXXX index composite (EPIC) quality of life after surgery or radiation treatment.

@entity1 @entity263
INTRODUCTION: The Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) is a validated and widely adopted instrument that measures @entity1 quality of life. This study aims to describe and compare @entity1 quality of life in the bowel, urinary, and @entity263 treatments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review of English articles published prior to 2012 was conducted. Peer reviewed articles reporting longitudinal EPIC data in a statistically analyzable form with clearly defined time points were included. Articles were assessed by content experts to ensure optimal treatment quality. Screening of studies and extraction of data were completed using a predefined data abstraction tool. Data on bowel, urinary, and sexual domains were documented. Scores in each domain range from a low of 0 to a high of 100. RESULTS: Twenty-six articles, representing 8302 @entity1 , were included. All treatments were associated with short term or long term reductions in urinary, bowel, and sexual domains. Surgery @entity1 had better post-treatment bowel quality of life; however, average declines were small regardless of treatment. Post-treatment urinary incontinence scores were lower for surgery @entity1 ; while radiation @entity1 had worse urinary irritation. Average urinary bother and function were similar between treatment groups at 18 months post-treatment. Surgery @entity1 had better baseline sexual function. A greater decline in sexual function was observed in surgery @entity1 compared to radiation @entity1 . CONCLUSIONS: @entity263 treatments have different impacts on @entity1 quality of life and function. The magnitude of difference between treatment-related adverse effects may be important to @entity1 when choosing therapy.
