title: Comparison of patient-reported quality of life outcome questionnaire response rates between patients treated surgically for renal cell carcinoma and prostate carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We sought to examine differences in response rates to quality of life (QoL) surveys in patients treated surgically for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and prostate cancer (PCa) and to analyze factors associated with non-response of the surveys.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who underwent surgery for RCC or PCa between 2006 and 2012 were offered enrollment in respective prospective cancer registries that included baseline and annual QoL assessments. We identified 201 RCC patients and 616 PCa patients who completed a baseline QoL survey and were mailed annual QoL surveys [RCC: SF-36, FACT-G (73 questions), PCa: EPIC, IIEF, Max-PC (80 questions)]. We compared patient characteristics between responders and non-responders using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous variables and a Fisher's Exact test for categorical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall response rates for the PCa and RCC groups were 63 and 48% (p < 0.001), respectively. This difference in response rates remained when we limited analysis to only those with early stage disease (pT2 for PCa and pT1 RCC, 62% vs. 52%; p = 0.03). PCa characteristics associated with response included older age (64.1 vs 62.6 years, p = 0.032) and robotic versus open surgery (56% vs 44%; p = 0.009). There were no characteristics that were associated with response in RCC patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgically treated PCa patients have higher QoL mail-based survey response rates compared to patients treated surgically for RCC. This difference holds true for clinically localized cancers as well.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Urology Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA. thiel.david@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.affiliation: Departments of Urology Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA. davidiuk.andrew@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Davidiuk
authors.affiliation: Departments of Urology Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA. broderick.gregory@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Broderick
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Research at Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA. arnold.michelle1@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Research at Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA. diehl.nancy@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Diehl
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Research at Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA. tavlarides.andrea@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tavlarides
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Research at Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA. custer.kaitlynn@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Kaitlynn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Custer
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Research at Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA. parker.alexander@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Alexander S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Parker
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome