Se Ik Kim1, Myong Cheol Lim2, Jeong Seon Lee3, Yumi Lee3, KiByung Park4, Jungnam Joo4, Sang-Soo Seo3, Sokbom Kang5, Seung Hyun Chung6, Sang-Yoon Park5. 1. Center for Uterine Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 2. Center for Uterine Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea; Gynecologic Cancer Branch, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: gynlim@gmail.com. 3. Center for Uterine Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. 4. Biometric Research Branch, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. 5. Center for Uterine Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea; Gynecologic Cancer Branch, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea. 6. Rehabilitation Medicine, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of lower limb lymphedema (LLL) on quality of life (QOL) in cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancer survivors after pelvic lymph node dissection. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional case-control study was performed using the Korean version of the Gynecologic Cancer Lymphedema Questionnaire (GCLQ-K) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30). In total, 25 women with LLL and 28 women without LLL completed both questionnaires. RESULTS: The GCLQ-K total symptom score and scores for swelling-general, swelling-limb, and heaviness were significantly higher in the LLL group than in the control group. In the EORTC QLQ-C30, the LLL group reported more financial difficulties compared to the control group (mean score, 16.0 vs. 6.0; P=0.035). Global health status was poorer in the LLL group with borderline statistical significance (mean score, 62.7 vs. 71.4; P=0.069). Spearman's correlations suggested that global health status in the EORTC QLQ-C30 correlated with the GCLQ-K total symptom score (in the LLL group, R=-0.64, P=0.001; in the control group, R=-0.42, P=0.027). CONCLUSIONS: QOL decreases due to LLL-related symptoms and financial difficulty in women with LLL. Well-designed prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of lower limb lymphedema (LLL) on quality of life (QOL) in cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancer survivors after pelvic lymph node dissection. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional case-control study was performed using the Korean version of the Gynecologic Cancer Lymphedema Questionnaire (GCLQ-K) and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30). In total, 25 women with LLL and 28 women without LLL completed both questionnaires. RESULTS: The GCLQ-K total symptom score and scores for swelling-general, swelling-limb, and heaviness were significantly higher in the LLL group than in the control group. In the EORTC QLQ-C30, the LLL group reported more financial difficulties compared to the control group (mean score, 16.0 vs. 6.0; P=0.035). Global health status was poorer in the LLL group with borderline statistical significance (mean score, 62.7 vs. 71.4; P=0.069). Spearman's correlations suggested that global health status in the EORTC QLQ-C30 correlated with the GCLQ-K total symptom score (in the LLL group, R=-0.64, P=0.001; in the control group, R=-0.42, P=0.027). CONCLUSIONS: QOL decreases due to LLL-related symptoms and financial difficulty in women with LLL. Well-designed prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.
Authors: E Sun Paik; Hyun Jin Choi; Tae-Joong Kim; Jeong-Won Lee; Byoung-Gie Kim; Duk-Soo Bae; Chel Hun Choi Journal: Cancer Res Treat Date: 2017-05-22 Impact factor: 4.679