A multi-modal study examining long-term bowel, urinary, and sexual function after rectal cancer surgery

Alisha Lussiez; C Ann Vitous; Ana C De Roo; Paul Abrahamse; Samantha Rivard; Maia Anderson; Inga Van Wieren; Pasithorn A Suwanabol

doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2022.02.046

A multi-modal study examining long-term bowel, urinary, and sexual function after rectal cancer surgery

Am J Surg. 2022 Jul;224(1 Pt B):562-568. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2022.02.046. Epub 2022 Mar 3.

Authors

Alisha Lussiez¹, C Ann Vitous², Ana C De Roo³, Paul Abrahamse⁴, Samantha Rivard⁵, Maia Anderson⁶, Inga Van Wieren⁷, Pasithorn A Suwanabol⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 E Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research Complex, Bldg. 16, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. Electronic address: alussiez@med.umich.edu.
² Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 E Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research Complex, Bldg. 16, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. Electronic address: vitousc@med.umich.edu.
³ Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 E Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. Electronic address: aderoo@med.umich.edu.
⁴ Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA. Electronic address: pabraham@med.umich.edu.
⁵ Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 E Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. Electronic address: rivardsj@med.umich.edu.
⁶ Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 E Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research Complex, Bldg. 16, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. Electronic address: maiaand@med.umich.edu.
⁷ Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 E Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. Electronic address: vanwieia@med.umich.edu.
⁸ Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, 1500 E Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; Center for Healthcare Outcomes and Policy, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research Complex, Bldg. 16, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. Electronic address: pasuwan@med.umich.edu.

PMID: 35260231
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2022.02.046

Abstract

Background: Many rectal cancer survivors experience persistent bowel, urinary, and sexual dysfunction. A better understanding of their lived experience can help guide survivorship care.

Methods: Multi-modal study of patients who underwent rectal cancer surgery from 2015 to 2019 at a single institution. Surveys and qualitative interviews were used to describe patients' postoperative symptom burden and its impact on their quality of life.

Results: The total number of survey respondents was 188 (response rate = 63.5%). Among participants, 41.5% reported their bowel habits, bladder habits (7.8%) and sexual function (36.2%) to be a "moderate" or "big problem" in the past four weeks. The lived experiences varied widely even among patients who report similar symptom burden.

Conclusions: Rectal cancer survivors commonly face lasting symptoms that negatively impact their quality of life for years after surgery. Additional support extending beyond the perioperative period is needed for patients with persistent dysfunction.

Keywords: Functional outcomes; Rectal cancer; Surgery; Survivorship.

MeSH terms

Humans
Quality of Life
Rectal Neoplasms* / surgery
Rectum
Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological* / epidemiology
Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological* / etiology
Surveys and Questionnaires