Quality of life of patients with rectal cancer after surgical treatment

Objective: to analyze functional surgical outcomes in patients with distal rectal cancer and their quality of life at different time-points postoperatively.

Materials and methods. This retrospective study included all patients with rectal cancer that underwent either abdominoanal resection of the rectum (with their sigmoid colon brought down into the anal canal) or low intraabdominal resection of the rectum with the formation of a mechanical coloanal anastomosis in Irkutsk Regional Oncology Dispensary between 1999 and 2012. Study participants were divided into two groups: the experimental group included patients who had low intraabdominal resection of the rectum, whereas the control group consisted of patients who had abdominoanal resection of the rectum. We evaluated 5-year survival and patients' quality of life (using the Wexner and FIQL scales).

Results. One year postoperatively, 17 patients (25 %) from the control group had unsatisfactory sphincter function (Wexner score 11–20). Sixty-three patients from the control group (95 %) reported fecal incontinence of varying severity. In the experimental group, 40 patients out of 88 (45 %) that survived during the first year had normal sphincter function. The remaining patients had solid stool incontinence or inability to retain feces for a long time (Wexner score <10).

Conclusions. Low resections of the rectum ensured better functional outcomes and patients' quality of life than abdominoanal resections of the rectum did. 

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