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  • Title: Longitudinal assessment of quality of life in rectal cancer patients with or without stomas following primary resection.
    Author: Yau T, Watkins D, Cunningham D, Barbachano Y, Chau I, Chong G.
    Journal: Dis Colon Rectum; 2009 Apr; 52(4):669-77. PubMed ID: 19404073.
    Abstract:
    PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the longitudinal impact of stoma formation on the health-related quality of life of rectal cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: Health-related quality of life data was prospectively collected in a randomized trial designed to compare 24 weeks of bolus 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin with 12 weeks of continuous 5-fluorouracil in patients with resected Dukes B and C colorectal cancer. Health-related quality of life data was collected at baseline, during adjuvant treatment, and at one and three years after completion of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Between 1993 and 2003, 186 rectal cancer patients were enrolled. One hundred thirty-nine patients had anterior resection, of whom 46 had a temporary defunctioning colostomy. Forty-seven patients had abdominoperineal resection with formation of a permanent colostomy. There was no significant difference in global health-related quality of life between patients with and patients without a stoma at any time point. However, during adjuvant treatment, role (P = 0.04) and social (P = 0.005) functioning were significantly worse in stoma patients than in nonstoma patients. Moreover, the impairment in social functioning persisted at one (P = 0.03) and three years (P = 0.04) after adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate important adverse effects of either temporary or permanent stoma formation on subsequent health-related quality of life in patients with rectal cancer.
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