Risk factors for poor health-related quality of life in patients with colon cancer include stoma and smoking habits.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is associated with the prognosis of cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors for poor HRQoL in patients with colon cancer. METHODS: This was a prospective population-based study of patients with colon cancer included between 2012 and 2016. HRQoL was measured using the cancer-specific European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30. Multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, smoking habits, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification, emergency/elective surgery, resection with/without a stoma and tumour stage was used. RESULTS: A total of 67% (376/561) of all incident patients with colon cancer (196 [52.1%] females) was included. Mean (range) age was 73 (30-96) years. Patients with worse health (American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 3 and 4), those with higher body mass index, smokers and those planned to undergo surgical treatment with a stoma were at a higher risk for poor HRQoL than the other included patients at baseline and 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Patient characteristics such as smoking, high body mass index and worse physical health as well as treatment with a stoma were associated with lower HRQoL. Health care for such patients should focus on social and lifestyle behavioural support and stoma closure, when possible. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03910894).

Predicting anxiety in cancer survivors presenting to primary care - A machine learning approach accounting for physical comorbidity.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to explore predictors for anxiety as the most common form of psychological distress in cancer survivors while accounting for physical comorbidity. METHODS: We conducted a secondary data analysis of a large study within the German National Cancer Plan which enrolled primary care cancer survivors diagnosed with colon, prostatic, or breast cancer. We selected candidate predictors based on a systematic MEDLINE search. Using supervised machine learning, we developed a prediction model for anxiety by splitting the data into a 70% training set and a 30% test set and further split the training set into 10-folds for cross-validating the hyperparameter tuning step during model selection. We fit six different regression models, selected the model that maximized the root mean square error (RMSE) and fit the selected model to the entire training set. Finally, we evaluated the model performance on the holdout test set. RESULTS: In total, data from 496 cancer survivors were analyzed. The LASSO model (α = 1.0) with weakly penalized model complexity (λ = 0.015) slightly outperformed all other models (RMSE = 0.370). Physical symptoms, namely, fatigue/weakness (ß = 0.18), insomnia (ß = 0.12), and pain (ß = 0.04), were the most important predictors, while the degree of physical comorbidity was negligible. CONCLUSIONS: Prediction of clinically significant anxiety in cancer survivors using readily available predictors is feasible. The findings highlight the need for considering cancer survivors' physical functioning regardless of the degree of comorbidity when assessing their psychological well-being. The generalizability of the model to other populations should be investigated in future external validations.

Patient-reported distress and age-related stress biomarkers among colorectal cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: Distress among cancer patients has been broadly accepted as an important indicator of well-being but has not been well studied. We investigated patient characteristics associated with high distress levels as well as correlations among measures of patient-reported distress and "objective" stress-related biomarkers among colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: In total, 238 patients with colon or rectal cancer completed surveys including the Distress Thermometer, Problem List, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. We abstracted demographic and clinical information from patient charts and determined salivary cortisol level and imaging-based sarcopenia. We evaluated associations between patient characteristics (demographics, clinical factors, and psychosocial and physical measures) and three outcomes (patient-reported distress, cortisol, and sarcopenia) with Spearman's rank correlations and multivariable linear regression. The potential moderating effect of age was separately investigated by including an interaction term in the regression models. RESULTS: Patient-reported distress was associated with gender (median: women 5.0, men 3.0, p < 0.001), partnered status (single 5.0, partnered 4.0, p = 0.018), and cancer type (rectal 5.0, colon 4.0, p = 0.026); these effects varied with patient age. Cortisol level was associated with "emotional problems" (ρ = 0.34, p = 0.030), anxiety (ρ = 0.46, p = 0.006), and depression (ρ = 0.54, p = 0.001) among younger patients. We found no significant associations between patient-reported distress, salivary cortisol, and sarcopenia. CONCLUSIONS: We found that young, single patients reported high levels of distress compared to other patient groups. Salivary cortisol may have limited value as a cancer-related stress biomarker among younger patients, based on association with some psychosocial measures. Stress biomarkers may not be more clinically useful than patient-reported measures in assessing distress among colorectal cancer patients.

Impact of adjuvant therapy toxicity on quality of life and emotional symptoms in patients with colon cancer: a latent class analysis

Objective To identify distinct trajectories of toxicity in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients after adjuvant chemotherapy and its impact on quality of life (QoL) and psychological symptoms. Methods A prospective, multicenter study was conducted in 157 patients. A latent class analysis defined the unobserved latent constructs that can be predicted as symptom clusters, considering the intensity of four types of adverse events (AEs). Patients completed EORTC-QLQ-C30, BSI-18, PDRQ-9, and DRS scales. Results Ninety-six percent had some degree of toxicity, with grades 3–4 being the most common: neurotoxicity (7.2%), hematological (13.1%), digestive (5.2%), and skin toxicity (1.4%). Three distinct latent classes were identified (high [72.5%], mild [16.9%], and low [10.6%] toxicity). Patients with high toxicity had the worst QoL scores and moderately high somatization and psychological distress scores. Conclusions Adjuvant chemotherapy for CRC was associated with frequent toxicity that negatively impacted QoL and psychological wellbeing (AU)

Nutrition intervention is beneficial to the quality of life of patients with gastrointestinal cancer undergoing chemotherapy in Vietnam.

INTRODUCTION: The best treatment therapy for gastrointestinal cancer patients is assessed by the improvement of health status and quality of life (QoL) after treatments. Malnutrition is related to loss of muscle strengths which leads to lower physical performance and emotional status. Thus, this study aimed to estimate the effects of nutritional interventions on the improvement of QoL among gastrointestinal patients undergoing chemotherapy in Vietnam. METHODS: A quasi-experiment with intervention and control groups for pre- and post-intervention assessment was carried out at the Department of Oncology and Palliative Care-Hanoi Medical University Hospital from 2016 to 2019. Sixty gastrointestinal cancer patients were recruited in each group. The intervention regimen consisted of nutritional counseling, a specific menu with a recommended amount of energy, protein, and formula milk used within 2 months. Nutritional status and QoL of patients were evaluated using The Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). The difference in differences (DiD) method was utilized to estimate the outcome between control and intervention groups. RESULTS: After the intervention, patients of the intervention group had better changes in scores of global health status (Coef =16.68; 95% CI =7.90; 25.46), physical (Coef =14.51; 95% CI =5.34; 23.70), and role functioning (Coef =14.67; 95% CI =1.63; 27.70) compared to the control group. Regarding symptom scales, the level of fatigue, pain, and insomnia symptoms significantly reduced between pre- and post-intervention in the intervention group. In addition, living in urban areas, defined as malnourished and having low prealbumin levels, were positively associated with the lower global health status/QoL score. CONCLUSION: Nutritional therapy with high protein was beneficial to the improvement in QoL, physical function and the reduction of negative symptoms among gastrointestinal cancer patients. Early individualized nutritional support in consultation with professional dietitians during chemotherapy plays an integral part in enhancing the QoL and better treatment prognosis. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04517708.

Impact of adjuvant therapy toxicity on quality of life and emotional symptoms in patients with colon cancer: a latent class analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify distinct trajectories of toxicity in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients after adjuvant chemotherapy and its impact on quality of life (QoL) and psychological symptoms. METHODS: A prospective, multicenter study was conducted in 157 patients. A latent class analysis defined the unobserved latent constructs that can be predicted as symptom clusters, considering the intensity of four types of adverse events (AEs). Patients completed EORTC-QLQ-C30, BSI-18, PDRQ-9, and DRS scales. RESULTS: Ninety-six percent had some degree of toxicity, with grades 3-4 being the most common: neurotoxicity (7.2%), hematological (13.1%), digestive (5.2%), and skin toxicity (1.4%). Three distinct latent classes were identified (high [72.5%], mild [16.9%], and low [10.6%] toxicity). Patients with high toxicity had the worst QoL scores and moderately high somatization and psychological distress scores. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant chemotherapy for CRC was associated with frequent toxicity that negatively impacted QoL and psychological wellbeing.

Diagnosed with a common cancer at an unusual age: causal attributions of survivors of adolescent and young adult colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Insight into the causes of colorectal cancer (CRC) in adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients is limited. Without definitive information, patients often shape their own beliefs on the cause of their illness, developing causal attributions. This study aims to examine the causal attributions of CRC in AYA patients, compare these with middle-aged and older adults CRC patient groups and explore the association between causal attributions and psychological distress. METHODS: Two cross-sectional questionnaire studies were conducted among CRC survivors diagnosed between 1998 and 2007 using the population-based PROFILES registry. Three groups were defined by age at diagnosis: AYA (18-39 years; n = 67), middle-aged (40-70 years; n = 1993) and older adult survivors (70+ years; n = 1922). Causal attributions were assessed in a single free-text item from the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire and psychological distress measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. RESULTS: AYA survivors most often attributed their CRC to heredity (36.4%), lifestyle (14.5%) and chance (10.9%). AYA survivors attributed their CRC to these causes more frequently than middle-aged and older adult CRC survivors. AYA survivors who attributed their CRC to causes out of their control (chance, heredity) showed significantly lower mean scores on anxiety (4.3 vs. 5.6; p < 0.01) compared to AYAs who reported causes within their control (lifestyle, stress). No significant difference was found for depression. CONCLUSION: AYA patients with CRC may benefit from in-depth discussion about the lack of known (biological) causes and how this does not directly imply a lifestyle or stress cause.

Effects of chemotherapy on quality of life and night-time sleep of colon cancer patients.

Background : The aim of this study was to investigate quality of life (QOL) and night-time sleep disturbance in colon cancer patients with middle risk chemotherapy for proper antiemetic therapy. Methods : The study enrolled 139 patients with colorectal cancer. All patients received oxaliplatin or irinotecan-based chemotherapy. Patients completed a questionnaire about chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and sleep disturbance. Sleep disturbance was checked, and the relationship between sleep disturbance and nausea was analyzed. Results : The prevalence of nausea was 48.9% (68 / 139). The degree of the nausea was slight / moderate / severe in 51 / 11 / 6 patients, and 12 patients had vomiting. Appetite showed no change / slightly decreased / half / one-fourth / none in 51 / 34 / 33 / 6 / 7 patients. There were significant differences in the mental component summary (MCS) score and the role-social component score (RCS). (MCS : nausea(+) vs nausea(-) 46.4 ±â€…1.1 vs 54.1 ±â€…1.1 p < 0.01 RCS : nausea(+) vs nausea(-) 33.1 ±â€…2.1 vs 41.6 ±â€…2.1 p < 0.01). Using the MCS with a cut-off score of 50, patients were divided into two groups, and nausea was significantly correlated with a low MCS score. Furthermore, patients were divided into two groups using a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index cut-off score of 6, and sleep disturbance was correlated with old age and second-line chemotherapy. Conclusions : Nausea affects QOL and night-time sleep of colon cancer patients with middle risk chemotherapy. J. Med. Invest. 67 : 338-342, August, 2020.

Colorectal Cancer-Related Knowledge, Acculturation, and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Among Low-Income Vietnamese Americans in the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second and fourth most common cancer in Vietnamese American women and men, respectively. Recent research has highlighted the importance of modifiable lifestyle behaviors such as smoking, alcohol use, dietary behaviors, and physical activities in CRC prevention for the general population. However, it is not well understood how well Vietnamese Americans knew about CRC prevention and risk factors, and whether there were any disparities in knowledge within this vulnerable population. This study examined whether comprehensive measures of acculturation and knowledge of CRC risk are associated with different health behaviors, specifically physical activity, protective dietary behaviors, and risky dietary behaviors in Vietnamese Americans. We recruited 374 Vietnamese Americans aged 50 or above from community-based organizations in the Vietnamese American communities in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area. Through a cross-sectional survey, we collected data on their knowledge of CRC prevention and risk factors, acculturation-related factors, and sociodemographic characteristics. We found limited knowledge of CRC prevention and risk factors, and suboptimal physical activity and healthy dietary behaviors in the Vietnamese Americans. We also found that higher levels of knowledge about CRC and risk factors were associated with less unhealthy diets but not with more protective diets or physical activity. Acculturation was not significantly associated with overall dietary behaviors in our study. Our findings addressed gaps in current literature concerning the impact of knowledge about CRC risk factors and acculturation on different dimensions of dietary behaviors as well as physical activity. Research and practical implications were discussed.

Physical activity interventions for disease-related physical and mental health during and following treatment in people with non-advanced colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. A diagnosis of colorectal cancer and subsequent treatment can adversely affect an individuals physical and mental health. Benefits of physical activity interventions in alleviating treatment side effects have been demonstrated in other cancer populations. Given that regular physical activity can decrease the risk of colorectal cancer, and cardiovascular fitness is a strong predictor of all-cause and cancer mortality risk, physical activity interventions may have a role to play in the colorectal cancer control continuum. Evidence of the efficacy of physical activity interventions in this population remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness and safety of physical activity interventions on the disease-related physical and mental health of individuals diagnosed with non-advanced colorectal cancer, staged as T1-4 N0-2 M0, treated surgically or with neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy (i.e. chemotherapy, radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy), or both. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2019, Issue 6), along with OVID MEDLINE, six other databases and four trial registries with no language or date restrictions. We screened reference lists of relevant publications and handsearched meeting abstracts and conference proceedings of relevant organisations for additional relevant studies. All searches were completed between 6 June and 14 June 2019. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised control trials (RCTs) and cluster-RCTs comparing physical activity interventions, to usual care or no physical activity intervention in adults with non-advanced colorectal cancer. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently selected studies, performed the data extraction, assessed the risk of bias and rated the quality of the studies using GRADE criteria. We pooled data for meta-analyses by length of follow-up, reported as mean differences (MDs) or standardised mean differences (SMDs) using random-effects wherever possible, or the fixed-effect model, where appropriate. If a meta-analysis was not possible, we synthesised studies narratively. MAIN RESULTS: We identified 16 RCTs, involving 992 participants; 524 were allocated to a physical activity intervention group and 468 to a usual care control group. The mean age of participants ranged between 51 and 69 years. Ten studies included participants who had finished active treatment, two studies included participants who were receiving active treatment, two studies included both those receiving and finished active treatment. It was unclear whether participants were receiving or finished treatment in two studies. Type, setting and duration of physical activity intervention varied between trials. Three studies opted for supervised interventions, five for home-based self-directed interventions and seven studies opted for a combination of supervised and self-directed programmes. One study did not report the intervention setting. The most common intervention duration was 12 weeks (7 studies). Type of physical activity included walking, cycling, resistance exercise, yoga and core stabilisation exercise. Most of the uncertainty in judging study bias came from a lack of clarity around allocation concealment and blinding of outcome assessors. Blinding of participants and personnel was not possible. The quality of the evidence ranged from very low to moderate overall. We did not pool physical function results at immediate-term follow-up due to considerable variation in results and inconsistency of direction of effect. We are uncertain whether physical activity interventions improve physical function compared with usual care. We found no evidence of effect of physical activity interventions compared to usual care on disease-related mental health (anxiety: SMD -0.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.40 to 0.18; 4 studies, 198 participants; I2 = 0%; and depression: SMD -0.21, 95% CI -0.50 to 0.08; 4 studies, 198 participants; I2 = 0%; moderate-quality evidence) at short- or medium-term follow-up. Seven studies reported on adverse events. We did not pool adverse events due to inconsistency in reporting and measurement. We found no evidence of serious adverse events in the intervention or usual care groups. Minor adverse events, such as neck, back and muscle pain were most commonly reported. No studies reported on overall survival or recurrence-free survival and no studies assessed outcomes at long-term follow-up We found evidence of positive effects of physical activity interventions on the aerobic fitness component of physical fitness (SMD 0.82, 95% CI 0.34 to 1.29; 7 studies, 295; I2 = 68%; low-quality evidence), cancer-related fatigue (MD 2.16, 95% CI 0.18 to 4.15; 6 studies, 230 participants; I2 = 18%; low-quality evidence) and health-related quality of life (SMD 0.36, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.62; 6 studies, 230 participants; I2 = 0%; moderate-quality evidence) at immediate-term follow-up. These positive effects were also observed at short-term follow-up but not medium-term follow-up. Only three studies reported medium-term follow-up for cancer-related fatigue and health-related quality of life. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this review should be interpreted with caution due to the low number of studies included and the quality of the evidence. We are uncertain whether physical activity interventions improve physical function. Physical activity interventions may have no effect on disease-related mental health. Physical activity interventions may be beneficial for aerobic fitness, cancer-related fatigue and health-related quality of life up to six months follow-up. Where reported, adverse events were generally minor. Adequately powered RCTs of high methodological quality with longer-term follow-up are required to assess the effect of physical activity interventions on the disease-related physical and mental health and on survival of people with non-advanced colorectal cancer. Adverse events should be adequately reported.

Efficacy of health coaching and a web-based program on physical activity, weight, and distress management among cancer survivors: A multi-centered randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy of health coaching and a web-based program on survivor physical activity (PA), weight, and distress management among stomach, colon, lung and breast cancer patients. METHODS: This randomised, controlled, 1-year trial conducted in five hospitals recruited cancer survivors within 2 months of completing primary cancer treatment who had not met ≥1 of these behavioural goals: (i) conducting moderate PA for at least 150 minutes/week or strenuous exercise for over 75 minutes per week or, in the case of lung cancer patients, low or moderate intensity exercise for over 12.5 MET per week, (ii) maintaining normal weight, and (iii) attaining a score >72 in the Post Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: the control group, a web-only group, or a health coaching + web group. The primary endpoint was based on a composite of PA, weight, and PTGI score at 12 months. RESULTS: Patients in the health coaching + web group (difference = 6.6%, P = .010) and the web-only group (difference = 5.9%, P = .031) had greater overall improvements across the three-outcome composite than the control group. The health coaching + web group had greater overall improvement in PTGI (difference = 12.6%; P < .001) than the control group, but not in PA and weight. CONCLUSION: The web-based program, with or without health coaching, may improve health behaviours including PA, weight, and distress management among cancer survivors within 2 months of completing primary cancer treatment. The web-based program with health coaching was mainly effective for reducing psychological distress.

Sexual health in colon cancer patients: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the impact that diagnosis and treatment can have on patients' sexual health, very little research has been conducted on the impact of colon cancer on sexual health. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the prevalence of sexual dysfunctions in colon cancer and describe the sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological correlates of sexual dysfunction. METHODS: Four electronic databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, AcademicSearchPremier, Cochrane Library) were searched for studies reporting sexual adjustment outcomes for colorectal cancer patients from January 1990 to July 2019. RESULTS: Of the 380 articles screened, 14 were included in this review. Sexual function is affected by colon cancer: patients' sexual satisfaction decreases significantly, as does the frequency of sexual intercourse. There is an increase in sexual problems (desire, excitement, or pleasure disorders). Male gender, advanced age, distress, and the comorbidities increase sexual disorders. In addition, it appears that partner distress negatively affects patients' sexual health. Taking such difficulties into account appears key for these patients and their partners. They could benefit from better care throughout treatment and in remission. CONCLUSION: The results of this systematic review highlight the importance of taking an interest in the sexual health of patients with colon cancer.

Cancer-related fatigue among long-term survivors of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer: a French registry-based controlled study.

BACKGROUND: While several studies have documented fatigue during and after cancer treatment, long-term cancer survivor fatigue is underreported. In this study, we compare fatigue, quality of life (QoL), and anxiety between relapse-free cancer survivors 15 years after diagnosis and healthy controls. METHODS: Cancer survivors (CS) were randomly selected from three large population-based cancer registries (Bas-Rhin, Calvados, and Doubs, France). Cancer-free controls were randomly selected from electoral lists with stratification on age group, residence area, and gender. All participants completed self-reported fatigue (MFI), QoL (EORTC QLQ-C30), and anxiety (STAI) questionnaires. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to study the association between fatigue and cancer status, in three cancer subgroups: breast cancer (BC), cervical cancer (CC), and colorectal cancer (CRC). RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-three CS and 688 controls (125/275, 45/153, 93/260 CS/controls for BC, CC, and CRC respectively) were included. The mean age was 66 years. In multivariable analyses, CS had higher general and mental fatigue than controls p = 0.04 and p = 0.02, respectively. No difference in QoL was observed between CS and controls. CS were more anxious than controls (p < 0.01). Anxiety was associated with general fatigue (p < 0.0001) and mental fatigue (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Fifteen years after diagnosis, cancer survivors reported more general and mental fatigue compared with controls. Our results reinforce guidelines, identifying fatigue as a persistent symptom.

Painful and non-painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and quality of life in colorectal cancer survivors: results from the population-based PROFILES registry.

PURPOSE: This study aims to (1) examine the prevalence of painful versus non-painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) among long-term colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors, (2) identify sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological factors associated with painful and non-painful CIPN, and (3) examine the associations of painful CIPN with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in comparison with non-painful CIPN, i.e., numbness/tingling. METHODS: All CRC survivors diagnosed between 2000 and 2009 as registered by the population-based Netherlands Cancer Registry (Eindhoven region) were eligible for participation. Chemotherapy-treated survivors (n = 477) completed questions on CIPN (EORTC QLQ-CIPN20) and HRQoL (EORTC QLQ-C30). RESULTS: Painful CIPN was reported by 9% (n = 45) of survivors and non-painful CIPN was reported by 22% (n = 103). Time since diagnosis was related to painful CIPN, and time since diagnosis, a higher disease stage, osteoarthritis, and more anxiety symptoms were related to non-painful CIPN. Finally, survivors with painful CIPN reported a worse global quality of life and worse physical, role, cognitive, and social functioning compared to survivors with non-painful CIPN and those without any sensory CIPN. No differences were found between survivors with non-painful CIPN and those without sensory CIPN. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that painful CIPN must be distinguished from non-painful CIPN, as only painful CIPN was related to a worse HRQoL. Future research is needed to examine whether painful CIPN must be distinguished from non-painful CIPN regarding predictors, mechanisms, and treatment.

Quality of life assessment and reporting in colorectal cancer: A systematic review of phase III trials published between 2012 and 2018.

BACKGROUND: In this study, our aim was to describe quality of life (QoL) prevalence and heterogeneity in QoL reporting in colorectal cancer phase III trials. METHODS: We included all phase III trials evaluating anticancer drugs in colorectal cancer patients published between 2012 and 2018 by 11 major journals. RESULTS: Out of the 67 publications identified, in 41 (61.2 %) QoL was not listed among endpoints. Out of 26 primary publications of trials including QoL among endpoints, QoL results were not reported in 10 (38.5 %). Overall, no QoL data were available in 51/67 (76.1 %) primary publications. In particular, in the metastatic setting, QoL data were not available in 12/18 (66.7 %) trials with primary endpoint overall survival, and in 20/29 (69.0 %) trials with other primary endpoints. CONCLUSIONS: QoL was absent in a high proportion of recently published phase III trials in colorectal cancer, even in trials of second or further lines, where attention to QoL should be particularly high.

Association of laparoscopic colectomy versus open colectomy on the long-term health-related quality of life of colon cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic colectomy (LC) is a less invasive alternative to open colectomy (OC) in the treatment of stage I-III colon cancer. Research on the long-term (5-year post-diagnosis) health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of LC patients is scarce. Our study aimed to compare the long-term HRQOL and psychological well-being of stage I-III colon cancer survivors treated either with LC or OC. METHODS: This study used a German population-based cohort of patients treated with either LC (n = 86) or OC (n = 980). LC patients were matched to OC patients using a propensity score. At 5-year follow-up, patients completed assessments on HRQOL (EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-CR29) and psychological well-being (distress and disease/treatment burden). Least square mean scores of HRQOL were derived using linear regression. Proportions of patients with moderate/high distress and disease/treatment burden were compared with Chi-square tests. RESULTS: In total, 81 LC patients were matched to 156 OC patients. Generally, LC patients had HRQOL comparable to OC patients, albeit LC patients reported significantly better body image (87.1 versus 81.0, p = 0.03). Distress levels were generally low and comparable between the two groups, even though LC patients were more likely to experience disease recurrence (16% versus 7%, p = 0.02) than OC patients. OC patients were more likely to feel moderate/high levels of burden associated with the treatment (72% versus 56%, p = 0.01) and the time after treatment completion (43% versus 28%, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: LC patients reported comparable long-term HRQOL outcomes but higher levels of psychological well-being than OC patients 5 years after diagnosis, even though LC was associated with higher risk of disease recurrence.

Functional bowel complaints and quality of life after surgery for colon cancer: prevalence and predictive factors.

AIM: Low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) severely affects the quality of life (QoL) of patients after surgery for rectal cancer. There are very few studies that have investigated LARS-like symptoms and their effect on QoL after colon cancer surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of functional abdominal complaints and related QoL after colon cancer surgery compared with patients with similar complaints after rectal cancer surgery. METHOD: All patients who underwent colorectal cancer resections between January 2008 and December 2015, and who were free of colostomy for at least 1 year, were eligible (n = 2136). Bowel function was assessed by the LARS score, QoL by the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR29 questionnaires. QoL was compared between the LARS score categories and tumour height categories. RESULTS: A total of 1495 patients (70.0%) were included in the analyses, of whom 1145 had a colonic and 350 a rectal tumour. Symptoms of LARS were observed in 55% after rectal cancer resection compared with 21% after colon cancer resection. Female gender (OR 1.88, CI 1.392-2.528) and a previous diverting stoma (OR 1.84, CI 1.14-2.97) were independently associated with a higher prevalence of LARS after colon cancer surgery. Patients with LARS after colon cancer surgery performed significantly worse in most QoL domains. CONCLUSION: The results of this study highlight the presence of LARS-like symptoms after surgery for colonic cancer. Patients suffering from major LARS-like symptoms after colon resection reported the same debilitating effect on their QoL as patients with major LARS after rectal resection. This should be addressed by colorectal cancer specialists in order to adequately inform patients.

Long-term impact of incisional hernia on quality of life after colonic cancer resection.

PURPOSE: The objective of the current study was to examine the long-term quality of life (QOL) after colonic cancer resection according to whether or not the patients developed incisional hernia. Furthermore, the impact of incisional hernia repair on QOL was examined in the patient group diagnosed with an incisional hernia. METHODS: This was a nationwide register-based study including patients undergoing colonic cancer resection identified in the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group database. Surviving patients were contacted and answered the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire and grouped according to subsequent incisional hernia diagnosis, and in a subgroup analysis of patients with subsequent incisional hernia according to incisional hernia repair or not. RESULTS: A total of 2466 patients were included. The median time from colonic cancer resection to QOL assessment was 9.9 years, during which a total of 215 (8.7%) patients were diagnosed with incisional hernia, and 156 (72.6%) of these underwent incisional hernia repair. After adjustment for confounders, incisional hernia subsequent to colonic cancer resection was significantly associated with reduced QOL in the domains Global health, Physical functioning, Role functioning, Emotional functioning and Social functioning, as well as significantly associated with increased symptoms in the scales of pain, dyspnoea and insomnia. Of patients with incisional hernia, surgical repair was associated with increased QOL in the domains Physical functioning and Role functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Incisional hernia subsequent to colonic cancer resection was associated with reduced QOL several years after surgery and should be considered taken into account when evaluating the long-term outcome of colonic cancer resection.

[Why Me? - Causal Attributions and their Relation to Socio-Economic Status and Stigmatization in Breast, Colon, Prostate and Lung Cancer Patients]. / Warum gerade ich? ­ Subjektive Krankheitsursachen und Zusammenhänge zu sozialen Faktoren und wahrgenommener Stigmatisierung bei Brust-, Prostata-, Darm- und Lungenkrebspatienten.

BACKGROUND: Causal attributions can result in self-incrimination and psychosocial burden. Therefore, the present study assessed assumptions about subjective causes of cancer and examines their relationships with social factors and perceived stigmatization. METHODS: In a bicentric study, 858 patients with breast, colon, prostate or lung cancer were given standardized questionnaires. Of these, n=815 were included in the analyses. Causal attributions were assessed using a set of 17 items including main causes of cancer. Stigmatization was assessed with the Social Impact Scale (SIS-D). The data are evaluated uni-and multivariable. RESULTS: The mean age is 60 years, 54% are male. The majority of the patients (95%) state multiple causes of their disease. Environment is considered to be the most important influencing factor (M=3.0) by all cancer sites. The lowest influence is attributed to guilt/god's punishment (M=1.1). Causal attributions which are due to the lifestyle factors showed no higher correlations with stigmatizing attitudes than external attributions (r=0.07-0.38). Psychosocial factors (Beta=- 0.051 bis -0.086), smoking (Beta=- 0.087) and guilt/god's punishment (Beta=- 0.023) have been stated lowest in patients with high income. The lower the education of the patient the higher rated is the influence of contagion (Beta=- 0.019). CONCLUSION: Actual cancer risks are only partially taken into account as disease causes (e. g. nutrition), while others are underestimated (e. g. alcohol). Future cancer education interventions should focus on low-educated patients.

Impact of Survivorship Care Plans and Planning on Breast, Colon, and Prostate Cancer Survivors in a Community Oncology Practice.

With a growing number of cancer survivors, survivorship care plans (SCPs) are recommended to communicate information about late effects of treatment and follow-up care. Community oncology practices follow 85% of adult cancer survivors but report more difficulty in providing SCPs compared to academic centers. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of delivering SCPs in a community oncology practice by examining awareness of SCP receipt as well as how provision affects survivors' perception of care quality and of their condition. Survivors who accepted a SCP as standard of care were recruited from a community oncology practice in the Midwest and completed surveys prior to SCP provision (baseline) and 4 weeks later (follow-up). Within-survivor changes in knowledge of SCP receipt, satisfaction and perceived care coordination were assessed. Thirty cancer survivors (breast, colon, and prostate) completed the baseline survey, while 24 completed the follow-up survey (80% response rate). Participants reported receiving SCPs and treatment summaries more frequently at follow-up after receiving a SCP. At follow-up, there was a significant increase in survivor activation and involvement in care along with satisfaction of knowledge of care. Communication about and during SCP provision may need to be clearer: 34% of survivors could not correctly identify SCP receipt in this study. This may place these survivors at a disadvantage, if this leads to less awareness of important information regarding follow-up surveillance and management. Of those aware of SCP receipt, SCP provision had positive impacts in this small, short-term study.