Avaliação sobre qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde em pacientes com câncer retal tratados com intenção curativa / Health-related quality of life assessment in patients with rectal cancer treated with curative intent

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The treatment of median and distal rectal cancer has evolved a lot in the last decades due to the dissemination of the technique of total mesortal excision and the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, this multidisciplinary approach can affect patients' quality of life in a number of ways that deserve to be adequately assessed. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate immediate and late health related quality of life in patients with rectal cancer treated with curative intent. METHODS: Prospective study including patients with non-metastatic mid or low rectal cancer. EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC-CR38 questionnaires were applied before, 3 months and 12 months after treatment. The mean scores of the questionnaires were stratified into 4 categories for the purpose of comparing the results at different moments. RESULTS: Twenty nine patients completed the 1st and 2nd questionnaires and 12 completed the three questionaries. Patient´s mean age was 50.8 years and 62% were female. Sphincter preservation was possible in 89.6%. Overall health scores and quality of life improved after three months after 12 months. After three months, sexual satisfaction, female sexual problems and future perspective were worsen, but gastrointestinal symptoms, sphincter problems, and weight loss were improved. After 12 months the Future Perspective deteriorated, but there was improvement of the problems related to stoma, sphincter problems and body image. CONCLUSION: Despite the complexity of the treatment of rectal cancer within a specialized service, quality of life was preserved and was satisfactory in most of the studied aspects.

RESUMO CONTEXTO: O tratamento do câncer de reto médio e distal evoluiu muito nas últimas décadas devido à disseminação da técnica de excisão total do mesorretal e ao uso de quimioterapia e radioterapia neoadjuvantes. No entanto, essa abordagem multidisciplinar pode afetar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes de várias maneiras que merecem ser adequadamente avaliadas. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a qualidade de vida imediata e tardia relacionada à saúde em pacientes tratados de câncer retal com intenção curativa. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo que incluiu pacientes com câncer primário de reto médio ou baixo não metastático. Foram aplicados os questionários EORTC QLQ-C30 e EORTC-CR38 antes, 3 meses e 12 meses após o tratamento. As médias dos escores dos questionários foram estratificadas em quatro categorias para fins de comparação dos resultados nos diferentes momentos. RESULTADOS: Vinte e nove pacientes responderam aos 1º e 2º questionários e 12 responderam os três questionários. A idade média foi de 50,8 anos e 62% do sexo feminino. Preservação esfincteriana foi possível em 89,6%. As médias de escores globais de saúde e qualidade de vida melhoraram tanto após 3 meses quanto após 12 meses. Função cognitiva, dor, insônia, constipação, sintomas gastrointestinais, problemas esfincterianos, perda de peso melhoraram tanto no período imediato quanto tardio. Problemas sexuais masculinos e femininos e perspectiva futura pioraram tanto no período precoce quanto tardio. As demais funções ou sintomas ou itens não se alteraram. CONCLUSÃO: Apesar da complexidade do tratamento do câncer de reto dentro de um serviço especializado, a qualidade de vida ficou preservada ou melhor na maioria das características estudadas.

Adaptación transcultural del cuestionario acerca de la función intestinal (LARS Score) para su aplicación en pacientes operados de cáncer de recto medio y bajo / Cross-cultural adaptation of a bowel function questionnaire (LARS Score) for application in patients operated on for medium and low rectal cancer

Introducción: El tratamiento en el cáncer de recto ha progresado en la última década. Hoy es factible ofrecer una cirugía con preservación de esfínteres, realizando anastomosis colorrectales bajas o anastomosis coloanales. Esto ha determinado que muchos pacientes desarrollen disfunción intestinal que puede llegar a ser severa, agrupando una serie de alteraciones que se conocen como síndrome de resección anterior baja. Objetivo: Efectuar una adaptación cultural de la versión 1.0 en español neutro del cuestionario acerca de la función intestinal o Low Anterior Resection Syndrome Score (LARS Score), efectuando traducción, comparación de traducciones, traducción inversa y prueba piloto. Resultados: Los resultados obtenidos de la prueba piloto revelan que la población encuestada logró comprender el instrumento, por lo que no se realizaron modificaciones posteriores. Conclusión: Se cuenta con una versión adaptada del cuestionario LARS para ser usada en Chile, la cual puede someterse a procesos de validación y establecer las características psicométricas para ser usada en pacientes con cáncer de recto operados.

Introduction: The treatment of rectal cancer has progressed in the past decade. Nowadays, it's feasible to provide sphincter sparing surgery with low colorectal anastomosis or coloanal anastomosis. This has determined that many patients develop intestinal dysfunctions that can become severe, grouping a number of disorders known as low anterior resection syndrome. Objective: To perform a cultural adaptation of the version 1.0 questionnaire about bowel function or Low Resection Syndrome Score (LARS Score) in neutral Spanish, making a translation, comparing translations, back translation and pilot test. Results: The results of the pilot test showed that the population surveyed understood the instrument, so that no further modifications were made. Conclusion: We now have an adapted version of the LARS questionnaire for use in Chile, which can undergo validation processes to establish the psychometric characteristics for use in patients with rectal cancer surgery.

Impact of Bowel Function, Anxiety and Depression on Quality of Life in Patients with Sphincter-preserving Resection for Rectal Cancer

PURPOSE: This study was a descriptive survey research to identify the impact of bowel function, anxiety and depression on quality of life in patients with rectal cancer who had a sphincter-preserving resection. METHODS: articipants were 100 patients who had rectal cancer surgery at W hospital in Korea. Bowel function, anxiety & depression, and quality of life were measured using the BFI (Bowel Function Instrument), HADS (Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale) and the FACT-C (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal). RESULTS: The mean scores were 39.81+/-5.16 for bowel function, 6.15+/-3.25 for anxiety, 7.24+/-3.13 for depression, and 72.50+/-13.27 for quality of life. There were significant negative correlations between quality of life and anxiety (r= -.59, p <.001) and between quality of life and depression (r= -.53, p <.001). But the correlation between quality of life and bowel function was significantly positive (r=.22, p =.025). The influence of the independent variables on the total quality of life was examined using multiple regression analysis. Anxiety (beta= -.38, p =.002), bowel function (beta= -.25, p =.028) and occupation (beta=.16, p =.048) were identified as factors affecting quality of life. The explanation power of this regression model was 44% and it was statistically significant (F=16.53, p <.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that in order to improve the bowel function of patients after sphincter-preserving resection for rectal cancer, effective nursing interventions should be developed. As psychological problem such as anxiety and depression can relate to quality of life for these patients, nurses should work on improving the situation by providing continuous emotional nursing.