Long-term quality of life in pouch patients compared with stoma patients following rectal cancer surgery.

AIM

Low and ultralow anterior resection for rectal cancer with colorectal or coloanal anastomosis does not compromise oncological results compared with abdominoperineal excision. Although avoidance of a permanent colostomy is regarded as beneficial for a patient's quality of life (QoL), patients undergoing sphincter-sparing surgery may develop a number of functional problems. A colonic pouch significantly improves functional outcome after rectal resection and low anastomosis and may positively influence QoL. The aim of this study was to compare QoL in long-term survivors who underwent ultralow anterior resection with total mesorectal excision and colonic J-pouch anastomosis (CPA) with patients treated with abdominoperineal excision (APE) and end colostomy for rectal cancer.

METHOD

The medical records from our institution's prospectively maintained rectal cancer database of 151 patients who underwent surgery for ultralow rectal cancer from 2001 to 2007 were analysed. QoL in 59 eligible patients was assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 core and Colorectal Cancer 29. Results were compared for patients with CPA and APE.

RESULTS

The median follow-up in the 59 patients was 74 (37-119) months. QoL was good in all patients, but it was better in CPA than in APE patients. Global health status (P = 0.009), physical functioning (P = 0.0002), role functioning (P = 0.03), cognitive functioning (P = 0.046), social functioning (P = 0.002), body image (P = 0.053), embarrassment (P = 0.002) and urinary frequency (P = 0.003) were significantly improved for patients with CPA.

CONCLUSION

QoL after rectal resection and CPA was better than after APE in several respects. However, QoL should not be regarded as an isolated concept but rather as one of several possible clinical outcomes of interest.