Short-term quality-of-life assessed after robot-assisted radical cystectomy: a prospective analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To prospectively determine the effect of robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) on quality of life (QoL) after surgery.


METHODS
In all, 34 patients who had RARC for bladder cancer between January 2006 and December 2007 at one institution were prospectively enrolled in a study of QoL. All patients had RARC with extracorporeal urinary diversion by one surgeon. As part of the routine follow-up, QoL was assessed at intervals. Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bladder (FACT-BL) questionnaires were administered before and then over a 6-month period after RARC. Patients undergoing chemotherapy were not excluded. Follow-up FACT-BL and individual domain scores for physical, social, emotional and functional well-being were compared with those obtained before RARC.


RESULTS
The mean age of all patients was 65 years, 88% were men, and 13 (38%) had adjuvant chemotherapy. The mean time after RARC for the 1-, 3- and 6-month assessments was 29, 90 and 193 days, respectively; 19 patients completed three follow-up questionnaires. Initially, there were significant decreases in the physical and functional domains, with improvements in the emotional domain (P < 0.001). Total FACT-General and FACT-BL scores decreased in the initial period after RARC and then progressively improved. There was no statistically significant difference in total scores at 3 months after surgery; at the 6-month follow-up the total FACT-BL scores exceeded those before RARC (P = 0.048).


CONCLUSIONS
QoL appears to return promptly to, or exceed, baseline levels by 6 months after RARC. The improvement in the short term might allow for more contented patients and quicker initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy.
Yuh
Bertram
B
Urology, State university of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, NY, USA.
Butt
Zubair
Z
Fazili
Anees
A
Piacente
Pamela
P
Tan
Wei
W
Wilding
Gregory
G
Mohler
James
J
Guru
Khurshid
K
D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015653:Cystectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012371:Robotics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents