ABSTRACT
The most favorable outcome that can be achieved after local therapy for prostate cancer is complete eradication of the cancer with full recovery of urinary, bowel, and sexual function. These goals are inextricably linked and at times may appear to conflict with one another in that achieving one goal may occur at the expense of the others. The technical challenge of local treatment for prostate cancer is to treat sufficient periprostatic tissue to achieve cure, while at the same time preserving the cavernosal nerves required for erectile function, and the neuromusculature required for normal urinary and bowel function. This chapter will review the preservation of sexual function following local treatment for prostate cancer.
