2005 Abstracts: Assessment of Quality of Life After Abdominoperineal Resection: A Prospective Longitudinal Study
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Assessment of Quality of Life After Abdominoperineal Resection: A Prospective Longitudinal Study
Pascal Gervaz, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, AE, Switzerland; abdelkarim allal, University Hopsital Geneva, geneva, AE, Switzerland; Philippe Morel, Béatrice Mugnier-Konrad, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, AE, Switzerland
Assessment of quality of life after abdominoperineal resection:
a prospective longitudinal study Pascal Gervaz, AbdelkarimAllal, Béatrice Konrad, Laurence Lataillade, Sonia Beyeler, Arnaud Roth and Philippe Morel Department of Surgery, University Hospital Geneva, Switzerland. Objective: An important parameter influencing quality of life after colorectal surgery is time, and many clinicians assume that bowel function, and general well-being, improve within the first year after surgery for anorectal malignancies. The aim of this prospective study was to repeatedly assess quality of life (QoL) 1, 6 and 12 months after abdominoperineal resection (APR). Methods: We studied 10 patients (8 with rectal and 2 with anal cancer) who underwent APR in a single institution between June 2002 and September 2003. QoL was assessed using 2 self-rating questionnaires developed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC): one cancer-specific (QLQ-C30) and one site-specific for colon and rectum (QLQ-C38). Questionnaires were filled out one month, six months and 1 year after surgery. Results:All patients were free of recurrence at time of last interview. In comparison with scores one month post surgery, at one-year follow-up patients reported significant improvement in their role function (median 83 vs. 100, p=0.003), their physical function (30 vs. 100, p=0.01) and their global QoL (50 vs. 73, p=0.02), as well as a decrease in symptoms such as fatigue (44 vs. 11, p=0.03) and sleep disturbance (33 vs. 0, p=0.02). By contrast, there was no improvement at one year for symptoms directly related to pelvic surgery, such as body image (p=0.47), sexual dysfunction (p=0.98), and stoma problems (p=0.93).Conclusion:One year after APR, patients exhibit significant improvement in global QoL and general well being. However, there is no improvement in the functional consequences of pelvic surgery. Specifically, sexual dysfunction remains a significant problem in males with little, if any, change over time.
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