Men undergoing surgery for prostate cancer may face a difficult side effect even after successful removal of the tumour: erectile dysfunction.
Researchers are investigating whether dried human placenta could help speed up the recovery of erectile function after prostate surgery.
According to a report published by *New Scientist*, the technique involves placing thin sheets of dehydrated human placenta around nerves that may be exposed or affected during surgery.
The nerves responsible for erections can be stretched, bruised or damaged during prostate cancer surgery, even when surgeons are able to preserve them. Recovery can take months and, for some men, considerably longer.
Researchers are studying placenta-derived material because placental tissue contains growth factors and other biological components that may support tissue repair and reduce inflammation around damaged nerves.
“To help men get better erections, we’re using donations of placentas from women,” said Shirin Razdan, a surgeon at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in Miami.
The treatment is based on the idea that protecting and supporting the nerves immediately after surgery could improve their chances of recovering function.
A review covering thousands of prostate cancer operations has reported an earlier return of erectile function among men who received placenta-derived treatment. Some studies have reported erections returning within about a week, compared with roughly two weeks among men who did not receive the treatment.
However, the findings require caution.
A faster return of erections does not necessarily mean that patients regain normal sexual function. It also does not establish that the placenta-derived material alone was responsible for the improvement seen in the studies.
Researchers still need to determine whether the treatment helps men achieve satisfactory erections in the longer term, how long any benefit lasts, whether it improves quality of life and whether it carries additional risks or costs.
The research is part of growing interest in regenerative treatments for complications associated with cancer surgery.
While prostate cancer surgery can be effective in treating localised disease, recovery involves more than controlling the cancer. For many patients, the return of sexual, urinary and other everyday functions is an important part of life after treatment.
For now, placenta-derived treatment remains an emerging approach to post-surgical erectile dysfunction rather than an established treatment. Further studies are needed to determine its effectiveness and safety.
