title: Restrictions in quality of life in colorectal cancer patients over three years after diagnosis: a population based study.
abstract: Despite the burden and prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC), there is only limited information regarding quality of life of patients who have survived beyond the first year post treatment. We assessed quality of life in a population-based cohort of 309 patients with CRC from Saarland (Germany) one and three years after diagnosis using the QLQ-C30 questionnaire and the tumour specific module QLQ-CR38. When compared with reference data from the general population, most patients with CRC reported high overall quality of life and only small deficits in physical functioning but deficits in emotional and social functioning persist over years in patients with colorectal cancer. Improvements in quality of life from the first to the third year after diagnosis in patients who remained free of disease were very modest and limited to less financial difficulties, a better future perspective and fewer stoma-related problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, German Centre for Research on Ageing, Bergheimer Strasse 20, D-69115 Heidelberg, Germany. v.arndt@dkfz-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arndt
authors.forename: Henrike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Merx
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stegmaier
authors.forename: Hartwig
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brenner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors