Abdominoperineal resection does not decrease quality of life in patients with low rectal cancer.

Area of Science:

• Colorectal Surgery
• Oncology
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Rectal cancer surgery, including abdominoperineal resection (APR) and low anterior resection (LAR), can impact patient quality of life.
• Specific concerns include body image issues with APR stomas and low anastomosis complications with LAR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the long-term quality of life in patients with low rectal cancer who underwent either APR or LAR.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study compared quality of life using the Short-Form-36 questionnaire in 153 patients (68 APR, 85 LAR) between 1995-2009.
• Data were adjusted for age, BMI, chemoradiation, and postoperative complications.

Main Results:

• While APR patients were older and had more comorbidities, baseline quality of life (mental component score) was lower in the APR group.
• This difference in mental component score resolved by 6 months post-surgery and disappeared by 36 months.
• No significant differences were found in other demographics, tumor characteristics, or complication rates.

Conclusions:

• Long-term quality of life is comparable between abdominoperineal resection and low anterior resection for low rectal cancer.
• These findings support informed patient counseling regarding surgical options for low rectal cancer.