Quality of life after radiotherapy for early-stage testicular seminoma.
OBJECTIVE
Standard therapy in early-stage testicular seminoma (TS) includes inguinal orchiectomy followed by irradiation (XRT) of the pelvic and para-aortic nodes. Since this treatment is highly effective in controlling the disease and leads to many long survivors, the quality of life (QL) may be impaired by treatment-induced side-effects. The aim of this study was to provide a QL evaluation of patients treated with XRT after orchiectomy for TS.


METHODS
We used a validated self-completed questionnaire based on a series of 44 items covering all QL fields. The items were grouped into six subscales with standardized scores. The questionnaire was mailed to a consecutive series of 143 patients treated between 1961 and 1995 for TS with no evidence of disease after primary treatment.


RESULTS
Ninety-eight questionnaires (68.5%) were returned and are assessable. The median age of the patients was 48 years (range, 26-85 years) at the time of completing the questionnaire, with a median follow-up after completion of treatment of 123 months (range, 15-432 months). The physical and autonomy subscale standardized scores were > or =1 in 83 and 95% of the cases, respectively. Psychological problems were reported by a small percentage of patients, ranging from 13, who reported a depressive condition, to 16%, who declared feeling tense. Of the patients, 86 and 89% have regularly met relatives and friends. The urinary score was above the central point in 99% of the patients. Only 6% of the patients perceived their body image as worsened by treatment. The patients who were more informed about the disease and therapy had a better physical and psychological adjustment.


CONCLUSIONS
The QL in our patients resulted as satisfactory, with a maintained body image and few side-effects. The information given to the patients about their disease and its treatment influenced the post-treatment QL adjustment.
Caffo
O
O
Department of Medical Oncology, St. Chiara Hospital, 38100, Trento, Italy.
Amichetti
M
M
Tomio
L
L
Galligioni
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D018239:Seminoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery