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Quality-of-Life Assessment in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Effects of Various Interventions

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Abstract

A literature search was conducted to review quality-of-life (QOL) measurement in patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The different QOL instruments are discussed in relation to their correlation with symptom evaluation in studies of treatment options for BPH. Symptom evaluation of BPH has been standardised internationally with the International Prostatic Symptom Score (IPSS), but there is neither agreement nor data to decide which QOL instrument is preferable. The most widely used QOL instrument is the disease-specific QOL single question added to the IPSS. Other QOL instruments have been used, but none has gained unanimous approval. The results of QOL assessments obtained from comparative clinical studies of treatment options for BPH are discussed. These studies compare treatment options such as watchful waiting, drug treatment and surgery. Disease-specific QOL domains (interference with daily activities) tend to improve more with treatment interventions than general health measures (i.e. general well-being).

The use of QOL instruments to evaluate patients with BPH, and their many treatment options, is still open to debate with regard to which instruments are preferred and their importance to the clinical evaluation of the patient. The challenge remains to find an acceptable disease-specific QOL instrument that adds information to currently used disease measures of BPH.

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Acknowledgements

Jordi Beneit, Fundació Puigvert’s librarian provided valuable assistance for this manuscript.

Disclosure: in an independent research project, Drs. Batista and Araño validated the International Prostatic Symptom Score (IPSS) in Spain in 1993. They have also participated in clinical trials and advised on field studies on benign prostatic hypertrophy and quality of life. Only the data from their independent research is included in this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Urodynamics Unit, Fundació Puigvert, Cartagena 340, 08025, Barcelona, Spain

    Jose-Emilio Batista-Miranda, Pedro Araño Bertrán & Humberto Villavicencio

  2. Hospital Clínico, Valladolid, Spain

    Marta De la Cruz Diez

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  1. Jose-Emilio Batista-Miranda
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  2. Marta De la Cruz Diez
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  3. Pedro Araño Bertrán
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Correspondence to Jose-Emilio Batista-Miranda.

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Batista-Miranda, JE., De la Cruz Diez, M., Araño Bertrán, P. et al. Quality-of-Life Assessment in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. Pharmacoeconomics 19, 1079–1090 (2001). https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-200119110-00002

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