Bladder Instillation Therapy With Hyaluronic Acid and Chondroitin Sulfate Improves Symptoms of Postradiation Cystitis: Prospective Pilot Study

In this study, we evaluate the efficacy of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate instillation in men with symptomatic cystitis after radiation therapy for PCa. Of a total of 80 patients treated with RT for PCa, 30 of these reported LUTS and received instillation therapy for 1 year. HA-CS significantly reduced overall LUTS and bother as measured by the ICSI/ICPI questionnaire. Background: After radiotherapy (RD for prostate cancer (PCa), several patients reported lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to damage and discontinuation of the glycosaminoglycan layer of the bladder. Instillation of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate (HA-CS) represents replenishment therapy of the glycosaminoglycan layer. The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HA-CS in men with symptomatic cystitis after RT for PCa. Materials and Methods: Eighty consecutive men were treated with RT for PCa; 30 of these (37.5%) reported clinically relevant LUTS and associated bother as measured by the Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index and Problem Index (ICSI/ICPI) Questionnaire 3 months after RT. Symptomatic patients received instillation therapy with HA-CS weekly for the first month and then at weeks 6, 8, and 12. All patients completed the ICSI/ICPI questionnaire before and after RT and at the end of HA-CS treatment. Results: HA-CS significantly reduced postradiation LUTS (P < .001) and bother (P = .006). Age, Gleason score, and radiation dose were the main determinants of worsening of LUTS after radiation (ICSI score baseline vs. postradiation: P = .047, .043, and .023). In multivariate analysis, only age influenced LUTS worsening after RT (P = .01). Age, radiation dose, and radiation toxicity were related to recovery of LUTS (ICSI score postradiation vs. post HA-CS P = .041, P = .050, and P = .046). In multivariate analysis, no factor was statistically significant. Conclusions: A remarkable worsening of symptoms and bother was observed after RT. HA-CS instillation is a safe treatment and resulted in an improvement of LUTS irrespective of age and clinical features, with full recovery of urinary bother. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.