Quality of life after coloanal anastomosis and abdominoperineal resection for distal rectal cancers: sphincter preservation vs quality of life.

AIM: A permanent colostomy is considered to have an adverse impact on quality of life (QOL). However, functional outcomes following sphincter preservation also affect QOL. Our aim was to determine differences in QOL of patients undergoing coloanal anastomosis (CAA) or abdominoperineal resection (APR) for distal rectal cancer. METHOD: Eighty-five patients underwent CAA (72 with intestinal continuity and 13 with a stoma because of complications) and 83 patients underwent APR for a distal rectal cancer between 1995 and 2001 at a single institution and responded to our survey. QOL was evaluated using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR38. RESULTS: Patients with CAA were younger than APR patients (mean age 57 vs 62 years, P < 0.001), but gender distribution, tumour stage and proportion of subjects receiving radiotherapy was not significantly different. Patients undergoing CAA had higher scores (better QOL) for physical functioning; lower scores (fewer symptoms) for fatigue, pain, financial difficulties, weight loss and chemotherapy side effects; and higher scores (more symptoms) for constipation and gastrointestinal symptoms compared with APR patients. CAA patients had higher scores (better QOL) for body image in men but not in women. Sexual functioning scores in men and women were lower (worse QOL) in CAA patients compared with APR patients. CONCLUSIONS: QOL after APR is comparable to sphincter preservation, although there are some differences that need to be considered. QOL and functional results should be taken into account with the oncological outcome when devising management strategy for distal rectal cancer.

Comparison of specimen processing and nucleic acid extraction by the swab extraction tube system versus the MagNA Pure LC system for laboratory diagnosis of herpes simplex virus infections by LightCycler PCR.

A total of 563 specimens (234 dermal and 329 genital swabs) from patients suspected of having herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections were processed using two different extraction methods (the MagNA Pure LC system and the swab extraction tube system [SETS]); HSV DNA was amplified by LightCycler PCR. HSV DNA was detected in 157 of 563 specimens (27.9%) processed by the MagNA Pure LC system and in 179 of 563 specimens (31.8%) processed by SETS (P < 0.0001). There was no specimen processed by the MagNA Pure LC extraction method that was positive only for HSV DNA. Of 157 specimens positive by both methods, HSV DNA copy levels were higher (using cycle crossover points [cycle threshold {C(T)}]) with SETS (mean C(T), 25.9 cycles) than with the MagNA Pure LC system (mean C(T), 32.0 cycles) (P < 0.0001). The time to process 32 samples was longer with the MagNA Pure LC extraction system (90 min) than with SETS (35 min). HSV DNA extraction using SETS is faster, less expensive, and more sensitive than the MagNA Pure LC system and could replace the latter for the laboratory diagnosis of HSV infections using LightCycler PCR.