title: A prospective study in the evaluation of quality of life after vulvar cancer surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to prospectively monitor the patients' quality of life (QoL) after vulvar cancer surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The design was prospective clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was set in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2nd Medical Faculty of the Charles University and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 36 patients underwent vulvar cancer surgery: 24 patients were subject to inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy (RAD) and 12 to sentinel lymph node biopsy. To evaluate QoL, the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, QoL questionnaires (QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CX24) were administered to patients before and 6 and 12 months after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with vulvar cancer after inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy, increased fatigue and impaired lymphedema were observed. In the group of patients after sentinel lymph node biopsy, none of the QoL variables worsened postoperatively. Comparing both groups 12 months after surgery, the RAD group had significantly worse outcomes in body image and cognitive functioning than the sentinel lymph node biopsy group.Patients in the RAD group, who received adjuvant radiotherapy (n = 13), had worse QoL in symptom experience (P < 0.05) at 6 and 12 months after the surgery than patients without radiotherapy (n = 11).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Less radical surgery showed objectively better QoL results.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University in Prague and Faculty Hospital Motol; and †Faculty of Informatics and Statistics, University of Economics, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novackova
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Halaska
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Robova
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mala
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pluta
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chmel
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rob
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001828:Body Image; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018153:Czech Republic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014846:Vulvar Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*