| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Original Article |
1 Department of General and Thoracic Surgery, University of Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Str. 7, 24105, Kiel, Germany
2 Reference Center for Quality of Life, University of Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Str. 5, 24105 Kiel, Germany
3 Department of Surgery, Section of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Yale University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 208062, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8062
Correspondence: Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Christian E. Schmidt, MD, MPH; E-mail: cewschmidt{at}yahoo.de.
Background: Study results on quality of life (QoL) between patients receiving an anterior resection (AR) or abdominoperineal resection (APR) for rectal cancer vary greatly. A main reason is grounded in unequal methodology. The aims of this study were to assess differences in perceived QoL over time among patients treated with AR or APR with a recommended study design and methodology.
Methods: In a prospective study, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 and a tumor-specific module were administered to patients with rectal cancer before surgery, at discharge, and 3, 6, and 12 months after the operation. Comparisons were made between patients receiving an AR and those receiving an APR.
Results: Two hundred forty-nine patients were included; 46 patients received an APR and 203 an AR. QoL data were available for 212 patients, of which 112 were female and 100 male. No differences in the distribution of age, sex, or tumor stage were observed between groups. EORTC function scales showed no significant differences, including body image scales, between patients receiving an AR and those receiving an APR. In symptom scores, AR patients had more difficulty with diarrhea and constipation, whereas patients with APR experienced more impaired sexuality and pain in the anoperineal region. At discharge, patients receiving an AR were more confident about their future.
Conclusions: QoL in patients receiving an AR and those receiving an APR is not different. Although patients with APR experience more impaired sexuality, patients receiving an AR experience decreases in QoL because of impaired bowel function.
Key Words: Quality of life • Rectal cancer • Abdominoperineal resection • Anterior resection • Differences • Outcome
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  J.-H. Egberts, B. Schniewind, B. Bestmann, C. Schafmayer, F. Egberts, F. Faendrich, T. Kuechler, and J. Tepel Impact of the Site of Anastomosis after Oncologic Esophagectomy on Quality of Life -- A Prospective, Longitudinal Outcome Study Ann. Surg. Oncol., February 1, 2008; 15(2): 566 - 575. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. Cornish, H. S. Tilney, A. G. Heriot, I. C. Lavery, V. W. Fazio, and P. P. Tekkis A Meta-Analysis of Quality of Life for Abdominoperineal Excision of Rectum versus Anterior Resection for Rectal Cancer Ann. Surg. Oncol., July 1, 2007; 14(7): 2056 - 2068. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. B. Neuman, D. Schrag, C. Cabral, M. R. Weiser, P. B. Paty, J. G. Guillem, B. D. Minsky, W. D. Wong, and L. K. Temple Can Differences in Bowel Function After Surgery for Rectal Cancer Be Identified by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Instrument? Ann. Surg. Oncol., May 1, 2007; 14(5): 1727 - 1734. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Schniewind, B. Bestmann, R. Kurdow, J. Tepel, D. Henne-Bruns, F. Faendrich, B. Kremer, and T. Kuechler Bypass Surgery Versus Palliative Pancreaticoduodenectomy in Patients with Advanced Ductal Adenocarcinoma of the Pancreatic Head, with an Emphasis on Quality of Life Analyses Ann. Surg. Oncol., November 1, 2006; 13(11): 1403 - 1411. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
