Impact of nocturia on disease-specific quality of life for men with localized prostate cancer

We assessed the impact of nocturia on the general and disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for men with localized prostate cancer. A total of 620 men with prostate cancer were enrolled to our study. All of the subjects completed the questionnaires before primary treatment. We evaluated general HRQOL with the Short Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36). The prostate-specific HRQOL was assessed with the University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index (PCI). Night-time urinary frequency was assessed by the seventh score of the International Prostate Symptom Score. Of the 581 men, 47 (8%) men reported no nocturia, while 189 (32%) were categorized with one void per night and 345 (59%) with two or more voids per night. Disease-specific HRQOL, including urinary function, bowel function, and sexual function, was negatively associated with increase in frequency of nocturia. The subjects who reported two or more voids per night had significantly lower scores than those of the no nocturia or one void per night group in several domains of the SF-36 and PCI. Based on the proportion odds model, age, urinary function, bowel function, and sexual function showed a strong association with frequency of nocturia. We found a strong association between the frequency of nocturia and disease-specific HRQOL as well as general HRQOL. Increased severity of nocturia is negatively correlated with overall health status and HRQOL outcomes.