The studies included in this review do not allow firm conclusions as to the question of whether the quality of life of people after anterior resection is superior to that of people after abdominoperineal excision/Hartmann's operation. The included studies challenges the assumption that anterior resection patients fare better.Larger, better designed and executed prospective studies are needed to answer this question.
Restrictions in quality of life in colorectal cancer patients over three years after diagnosis: a population based study.
Despite the burden and prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC), there is only limited information regarding quality of life of patients who have survived beyond the first year post treatment. We assessed quality of life in a population-based cohort of 309 patients with CRC from Saarland (Germany) one and three years after diagnosis using the QLQ-C30 questionnaire and the tumour specific module QLQ-CR38. When compared with reference data from the general population, most patients with CRC reported high overall quality of life and only small deficits in physical functioning but deficits in emotional and social functioning persist over years in patients with colorectal cancer. Improvements in quality of life from the first to the third year after diagnosis in patients who remained free of disease were very modest and limited to less financial difficulties, a better future perspective and fewer stoma-related problems.