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Top Tips for Primary Care: Optimising PDE5 inhibitor Use In Prostate Cancer Care

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Minutes: 7

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Topic:

Erectile dysfunction, Treatment and Side effects management
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Area of Practice:

Primary Care
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Recommended for:

Primary Care Doctor (GP)

Sexual dysfunction is a common consequence of prostate cancer treatment, yet many patients go unsupported due to lack of discussion or delays in intervention.

In this video, Professor Mike Kirby outlines why primary care clinicians should re-evaluate when and how PDE5 inhibitors are introduced. The discussion introduces the concept of prehabilitation to help preserve penile tissue integrity and support long term erectile function. It also explores the growing body of evidence suggesting that PDE5 inhibitors may offer benefits beyond sexual health, including improvements in cardiovascular outcomes, glycaemic control and renal function.

In addition to clinical insights, the video addresses common barriers in practice, including outdates perceptions around costs and prescribing restrictions, and highlights the importance of initiating conversations about sexual wellbeing with patients and their partners. This resource is designed to support primary care professionals in delivering more holistic, timely and effective care for patients living with and beyond prostate cancer.

Learning Objectives

After watching this video, you will be able to:

  • Understand the rationale for initiating PDE5 inhibitors prior to prostate cancer treatment
  • Describe how PDE5 inhibitors support erectile function and penile tissues preservation
  • Recognise the broader health benefits of PDE5 inhibitors, including potential cardiovascular, metabolic and renal effects
  • Identify the importance of proactively discussing sexual wellbeing with patients

Please be aware this session was recorded on 05/2026. We review our webinar content every 2 years.

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Webinar Presenter

Professor Mike Kirby, FRCP

President of British Society for Sexual Medicine

Professor Kirby FRCP worked as a GP in Letchworth, Hertfordshire. He also worked in the cardiology department at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, for 36 years, and provided an open-access echocardiography service for patients with heart failure for the local Primary Care Trust.

He was Visiting Professor to the Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, at the University of Hertfordshire. His subsequent clinical work was at The Prostate Centre in London, where he dealt with complex cardio-metabolic diseases, sexual problems and andrology.

He has been a long-term member of the British Society for Sexual Medicine. An Associate Member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, and current editor of Trends in Urology & Men’s Health. He also holds membership of several NHS advisory boards and is a member of the scientific advisory group to The Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme.

He has published more than 450 clinical papers and 33 books. The 4th edition of Men’s Health, and, also, Testosterone in Cardiometabolic and other diseases were published in 2022.

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