title: Treatment modality affects long-term quality of life in gynaecological cancer.
abstract: In order to survey the side effects after cancer treatment, quality of life data were collected from females in clinical remission.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was cross-sectional; every patient that visited the outpatient clinic during a period of three months was asked to anonymously complete the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire and five additional specific questions related to gynaecological cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 235 patients (90%) returned the questionnaire. In general, both the levels of functioning and symptomatology were time-dependent. Patients with short treatment-free intervals reported more problems than the others. When using treatment modality as an independent variable in the statistical calculations, a treatment-related effect on functioning and symptomatology was demonstrated (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). Patients previously treated with chemotherapy had poorer role- and cognitive functioning and more problems with fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dyspnoea, constipation and financial problems, compared with those not treated with chemotherapy (p < 0.05 to p < 0.01). Those patients who had been treated with external radiotherapy and/or brachytherapy had significantly more problems with flatulence and diarrhoea (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). In conclusion, patients who underwent treatment for gynaecological cancer reported long-term side effects also many years after finishing treatment. The problems where related to treatment modality which should be considered, especially when planning adjuvant treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Strang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bjurström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000855:Anorexia / Q000209:etiology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D011867:Radioisotope Teletherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D012917:Social Adjustment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents