“Urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction (ED) are known complication risks after radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer, and some reports have suggested disparities in their occurrences among Black men and men of lower income groups,” says Arthur Burnett, M.D., M.B.A., the Patrick C. Walsh Professor of Urology.

Is it possible that similar disparities exist in the treatment of these complications? To find out more, a research team led by Burnett looked at the timing and care of thousands of prostatectomy and radiation patients who experienced urinary incontinence and/or ED after treatment between 2015 and 2021.

They found that Black men were statistically more likely to receive surgical care for ED, but less likely to receive urinary incontinence surgical care than White men, in all cohorts except for radiation therapy-induced urinary incontinence. Surgical care was highest among patients in the lowest income quartile in all cohorts – except, again, urinary incontinence after radiation therapy.

Are men who experience urinary incontinence after radiation therapy somehow less likely to seek help for it? “We don’t have a definitive explanation,” says Burnett, “although factors related to culture and access to alternative treatments besides surgery may be related. Further prospective studies investigating the basis of these results would be helpful.” This study was published in BJUI Compass.