Comparison of quality of life in patients undergoing abdominoperineal extirpation or anterior resection for rectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of life (QoL) in patients undergoing anterior resection (AR) or abdominoperineal extirpation (APE) for rectal cancer in a sample of patients recruited from a field trial. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Abdominoperineal resection has been reported to put patients at higher risk of disruption to QoL than sphincter-preserving surgery.
METHODS: Fifty patients treated with AR and 23 patients treated with APE were prospectively followed up. All patients were treated in curative attempt and were disease-free throughout the study. QoL was assessed before surgery and 6 to 9 and 12 to 15 months after surgery.
RESULTS: Multivariate analysis of variance and subsequent post hoc comparisons revealed a main effect for time (role function, emotional function, body image, future perspective, and micturition-related problems) and group in favor of APE (sleeping problems, constipation, diarrhea), and a time-by-group interaction (role function). No significant results were obtained for the remaining scores, but patients undergoing APE consistently had more favorable QoL scores than those undergoing AR. Multivariate analysis and post hoc comparisons revealed a particularly poor QoL for patients undergoing low AR. They had a significantly lower total QoL, role function, social function, body image, and future perspective, and more gastrointestinal and defecation-related symptoms than patients undergoing high AR.
CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing APE do not have a poorer QoL than patients undergoing AR. Patients undergoing low AR have a lower QoL than those undergoing APE. Attention should be paid to QoL concerns expressed by patients undergoing low AR.