OBJECTIVE: The influence of specific symptoms on emotions and social activities in the individual @entity1 varies. Little is known about this variation in @entity150 survivors (in other words, about the relative importance of sources of symptom-induced distress). METHODS: We attempted to enroll 404 surgical @entity1 treated with cystectomy and a conduit or reservoir in four Swedish towns (Stockholm, Orebro, J  nk  ping, Link  ping), 101 surgical @entity1 treated with cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder at the Herlev Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, and 71 @entity1 treated with radical radiotherapy for @entity150 , as well as 581 @entity1 and @entity1 controls in Stockholm and Copenhagen. An anonymous postal questionnaire was used to collect the information. RESULTS: A total of 503 out of 576 (87%) treated @entity1 and 422 out of 581 (73%) controls participated but 59 @entity1 were excluded. The primary source of self-assessed distress among cystectomised @entity1 was compromised sexual function; reduced intercourse frequency caused great distress in 19% of the conduit @entity1 , 20% of the reservoir @entity1 and 19% of the bladder substitute @entity1 . The primary source of self-assessed distress in @entity1 treated with radical radiotherapy was symptoms from the bowel; 17% reported great distress due to @entity294 , 16% due to @entity490 , 14% due to @entity2680 . The highest proportion of subjects being distressed was 93% (substantial: 43%, moderate: 29% and little: 21%) for treated upper or lower urinary retention (indwelling catheter or nephrostomy). CONCLUSION: The distress caused by a specific symptom varies considerably and the prevalence of symptoms causing great distress differs between treatments in @entity150 survivors. It is possible that @entity1 care and clinical research can be made more effective by focusing on important sources of symptom-induced distress.

Relative importance of sources of symptom-induced distress in XXXX survivors.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['women', 'patients', 'patient', 'men'] @entity2680 :: ('MESH:D003763', 'Disease') :: ['defecation urgency and 14% due to faecal leakage'] @entity294 :: ('MESH:D003967', 'Disease') :: ['diarrhoea'] @entity150 :: ('MESH:D001749', 'Disease') :: ['bladder cancer', 'urinary bladder cancer'] @entity490 :: ('MESH:D015746', 'Disease') :: ['abdominal pain']
@entity150 :: (MESH:D001749,Disease) :: ['urinary bladder cancer']
