Change in Quality of Life in Patients with Advanced Rectal Cancer Between 2010 and 2022
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Quality of life for rectal cancer patients worsened over time, particularly in social functioning and role functioning. This decline is linked to societal factors, not solely cancer treatment side effects.
Area Of Science
- Oncology
- Public Health
- Patient-Reported Outcomes
Background
- Advanced rectal cancer is a significant global health concern.
- Multimodal therapy has improved survival, making quality of life a critical factor.
- Understanding long-term patient well-being is essential for comprehensive cancer care.
Purpose Of The Study
- To assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in rectal cancer patients from 2010 to 2022.
- To identify changes in functioning and symptom scores over time.
- To evaluate the impact of treatment and societal factors on long-term HRQoL.
Main Methods
- Longitudinal study of 516 rectal cancer patients at University Hospital Erlangen, Germany (13-year period).
- Utilized the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR38 questionnaires for HRQoL assessment.
- Collected data pre-treatment, during treatment, and at annual follow-ups; statistical significance set at p<0.05 or a 10% difference.
Main Results
- Immediate post-treatment decline in pain, fatigue, and diarrhea scores.
- One year post-therapy, most scores normalized, but role/social functioning and diarrhea remained significantly worse.
- Over the study period (2010-2022), role functioning, social functioning, body image, fatigue, and nausea showed clear deterioration.
Conclusions
- No significant improvement in therapy-related side effects or quality of life was demonstrated over time.
- Deterioration in patient-reported outcomes appears linked to broader societal or healthcare factors, not exclusively oncological disease progression or treatment.
- Further research is needed to address systemic influences on long-term patient well-being in advanced rectal cancer.
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