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MEDIA ALERT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2024 - FOR IMMEDIATE USE

Confidence-robbing condition compromising mental wellbeing
of one-in-three Aussie men aged 40+: new research

Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia set to champion

men’s ED awareness campaign

One-in-three Aussie men aged 40+ years report1 experiencing a

confidence-robbing condition2 that is severely compromising their

mental health and wellbeing, according to new research set for

release today, Tuesday, November 26, 2024.2-4

 

A common side-effect of prostate cancer treatment,1,5 diabetes,

heart and blood vessel disorders, high blood pressure, and high

cholesterol,6-8 erectile dysfunction, or “ED,” affects 32 per cent of

Australian men aged 40+ at least once a month,2 and 22 per cent

at least once a week,2 the new research is set to reveal.

 

ED can lead to shame, frustration and compromised mental health,

including depression, and further influence a man’s view of himself as ‘complete or whole.’3,4,9-11

​

Timely and effective treatment for ED is crucial, because the longer the condition continues, the more complicated it can be to treat.12

 

A common, potential side-effect of prostate cancer treatment, ED affects between 25-75 per cent of men who undergo surgery for the disease.13 Most men report their quality of life to be severely, or moderately affected by ED following prostate cancer treatment.14 For some men, it can take up to two years or longer post-treatment to regain sexual function.1,15,16

 

For those who have been diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer, and are dealing with ED, access to evidence-based support is imperative,” said Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia Chief of Mission and Head of Research, Professor Jeff Dunn AO.

 

“Men living with diabetes are also at heightened risk of developing ED because of damage caused to blood vessels and nerves due to the disease,7 with almost two-in-three developing ED,”7,17 Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) President, Professor Helen O'Connell AO, Melbourne said.

 

To learn more about the new research, and importance of effective management, and treatment of ED, tee up an interview with a spokesperson overleaf.

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW

EXPERTS

Dr Amanda Chung

Urological Surgeon, Sydney Urological Associates; Network Director of Surgical Skills, North Sydney Local Health District; Clinical Senior Lecturer, Macquarie University; and Chair of North Shore Urology Research Group, SYDNEY

Dr Phillip Katelaris

Consultant Urological and Robotic Surgeon and Director, Prostate Cancer Rehabilitation Centre Sydney, SYDNEY

Prof Helen O’Connell AO

President, Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ); Urological Surgeon, Epworth Health; Research Professor, Monash University; Urology Head, Australasian Pelvic Floor Procedures Registry Steering Committee; andProfessor, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, MELBOURNE

A/Prof Daniel Moon

Honorary Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne; Honorary Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Monash University; and Urologist, MELBOURNE

Kay Talbot

Prostate Care Nurse, Cert IV Health Admin Nurse Consultant-Urology Prosthetics, TORQUAY

Dr Greg Malone

Consultant Urologist, Greenslopes Private Hospital; St Andrews War Memorial Hospital and Mater Private Hospital Redland, BRISBANE

Dr Devang Desai

Director of Urology and Consultant Urologist, Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service, Toowoomba Hospital; Associate Professor, University of Queensland, Griffith University and University of Southern Queensland, TOOWOOMBA

Dr Dan Spernat

Urological Surgeon, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Ashford Hospital and Port Augusta Hospital, and Senior Lecturer in Surgery, University of Adelaide, ADELAIDE

Dr David Sofield

Reconstructive Urological Surgeon, St John of God Subiaco Hospital; and Founding Principal, Perth Reconstructive Urology, PERTH

Dr Jeffrey Thavaseelan

Urological Surgeon and Director, Perth Urology Clinic, PERTH

PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA REPRESENTATIVES

Prof Jeff Dunn AO

Chief of Mission and Head of Research, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, BRISBANE  [available to provide quotes via email only]

Sally Sara

Director of Nursing, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, ADELAIDE

Bernie Riley

Head of Telenursing and Supportive Care Programs, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, SYDNEY

AUSSIES WHO EXPERIENCED ED

Peter, 64

Business Consultant, father and grandfather who developed erectile dysfunction after a traumatic sporting injury, BRISBANE

Doug, 73

Retired serviceman and mining industry worker who developed ED after battling prostate cancer, MOUNT COOLUM

Ken, 70

PCaHELP Founder and Chair who developed ED after surviving prostate cancer, PERTH

About YouGov market research

Boston Scientific commissioned YouGov to perform an online quantitative survey on erectile dysfunction (ED) involving a nationally representative sample of 1,017 Australian men aged 40+ years between July 5 to 10, 2024.The data was weighted by age and region to reflect the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) population estimates of Australian men aged 40+.

 

References

  1. Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. UNDERSTANDING SEXUAL ISSUES FOLLOWING PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENT. 2014.

  2. Australian market research on erectile dysfunction (ED). YouGov: YouGov; 2024.

  3. Li H, Gao T, Wang R. The role of the sexual partner in managing erectile dysfunction. Nature Reviews Urology. 2016;13(3):168-77.

  4. Allen MS, Wood AM, Sheffield D. The Psychology of Erectile Dysfunction. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 2023;32(6):487-93.

  5. Madan R, Dracham CB, Khosla D, Goyal S, Yadav A. Erectile dysfunction and cancer: Current perspective. Radiation Oncology Journal. 2020;38.

  6. Erectile dysfunction healthdirect: healthdirect; 2023 [Available from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/erectile-dysfunction].

  7. treatED, Understanding the impact of diabetes on erectile dysfunction. Diabetes Australia: Diabetes Australia.

  8. Sanchez E, Pastuszak AW, Khera M. Erectile dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular risks: facts and controversies. Transl Androl Urol. 2017;6(1):28-36.

  9. Elterman DS, Bhattacharyya SK, Mafilios M, Woodward E, Nitschelm K, Burnett AL. The Quality of Life and Economic Burden of Erectile Dysfunction. Res Rep Urol. 2021;13:79-86.

  10. Leslie SW, Sooriyamoorthy T. Erectile Dysfunction. StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL)2024.

  11. Ian A R Smith NM, Prem Rashid. Erectile dysfunction – when tablets don’t work. Australian Journal for General Practitioners. 2012;39:301-5.

  12. Yafi FA, Jenkins L, Albersen M, Corona G, Isidori AM, Goldfarb S, et al. Erectile dysfunction. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016;2:16003.

  13. Matthew AG, Goldman A, Trachtenberg J, Robinson J, Horsburgh S, Currie K, et al. Sexual dysfunction after radical prostatectomy: prevalence, treatments, restricted use of treatments and distress. J Urol. 2005;174(6):2105-10.

  14. Albaugh JA, Sufrin N, Lapin BR, Petkewicz J, Tenfelde S. Life after prostate cancer treatment: a mixed methods study of the experiences of men with sexual dysfunction and their partners. BMC Urology. 2017;17(1):45.

  15. Everything below the belt 2023.

  16. Chen Y, Chang HC, Huang WJ, Wang CJ, Hwang TI, Liao CH, et al. Consensus of Experts on the Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction after Surgery for Prostate Cancer in Taiwan. J Clin Med. 2023;12(3).

  17. kitaw TA, Abate BB, Tilahun BD, Yilak G, Rede MB, Getie A, et al. The global burden of erectile dysfunction and its associated risk factors in diabetic patients: an umbrella reviews. BMC Public Health. 2024;24(1):2816.

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