title: Quality of life in rectal cancer patients after radical surgery: a survey of Chinese patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to investigate the impact of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in disease-free survivors after radical surgery for rectal cancer in a Chinese mainland population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a cross-sectional survey from August 2002 to February 2011 by use of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR38 questionnaires of 438 patients who underwent curative surgery for rectal cancer. Patients who were followed up for a minimum of 6 months, had no relevant major comorbidities and whose disease had not recurred were asked to complete both questionnaires. The impact of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics on HRQoL were compared by univariate and multivariate regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 285 patients responded to the survey (response rate, 65.1%). Psychological-related HRQoL variables such as emotional function (P = 0.021) and future perspectives (P = 0.044) were poorer for younger patients than for older patients; and physiological-related HRQoL was reflected by physical function (P = 0.039), which was poorer for older patients than for younger patients. In terms of physiologic function and symptoms concerning HRQoL, such as pain (P = 0.002) and insomnia (P = 0.018), females had lower values than males. Low education and unemployment were associated with a worse HRQoL. HRQoL was worse for patients with stomas compared to those without, especially in psychosocial areas such as role function (P = 0.025), social function (P <0.001) and body image (P = 0.004). Financial HRQoL was worse for younger patients and patients with stoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HRQoL aspects and degrees to which they were impaired after curative surgery for rectal cancer were different when compared by many sociodemographic and clinical factors in Chinese mainland patients.
authors.forename: Xinxin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No, 58 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou 510080, China. songxm2010@163.com.
authors.forename: Xinming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Zhihui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mingzhe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lifeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Wenhua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Yulong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Kaiwu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires