Quality of Life assessment through the EORTC questionnaires of locally advanced rectal cancer patients treated with preoperative chemo-radiotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the quality of life in a group of rectal cancer patients during the treatment period.


METHODS
A sample of 83 rectal cancer patients in Dukes' stages B2 or C who started a chemoradiotherapy treatment followed by surgery, have filled in the EORTC core questionnaire QLQC30 and the colorectal module QLQ-CR38, in three moments during the treatment and follow-up periods: at the beginning of the treatment, at the end of the chemoradiotherapy, and after surgery. Clinical and demographic data have also been recorded. Quality of Life scores and changes in them among the three assessments have been calculated.


RESULTS
Quality of life scores of patients who have followed the treatment has been good in most dimensions, and has shown similar to the clinical data. Soft and moderate alterations have appeared in the areas of disease symptoms, treatment toxicity, fatigue, emotional and sexual functioning, and also in functional areas after surgery. Quality of life has been stable or has had small changes in most dimensions. A worsening in toxicity areas has appeared after the neoadyuvant treatment. After surgery there has been a worsening in functional areas, fatigue and appetite loss, and an improvement in diarrhoea.


CONCLUSIONS
Quality of life scores and clinical data indicate that the situation of the patients who have received the treatments has been good. Patients under treatment stood it adequately.
Arraras Urdaniz
Juan Ignacio
JI
Servicios de Oncología Radioterápica y Oncología Médica, Hospital de Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain. jiarraras@correo.cop.es
Arias de la Vega
Fernando
F
Vera García
Ruth
R
Manterola Burgaleta
Ana
A
Martínez Aguillo
Maite
M
Villafranca Iturre
Elena
E
Salgado Pascual
Esteban
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001828:Body Image; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000209:etiology
D005641:Tegafur; D005472:Fluorouracil