Quality of life in survivors of colorectal carcinoma

BACKGROUND. Colon carcinoma is a common malignancy that accounts for a subs tantial share of all cancer-related morbidity and mortality. However, littl e is known with regard to general and disease specific quality of life in s urvivors of colorectal carcinoma, particularly from community-based samples of cases across stage and survival times from diagnosis. METHODS, Subjects with colorectal carcinoma were recruited from the Nationa l Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer reg istry. Subjects completed two self-administered surveys: the Functional Ass essment of Cancer Therapy Scales for Colorectal Cancer (FACT-C) and the Wea lth Utilities Index (HUI) Mark III. RESULTS. One hundred seventy-three respondents (average age: 70.4 years, 71 .4% female) completed the survey. In the first 3 years after diagnosis, qua lity of life was lower and varied substantially among respondents. After 3 years, respondents in all TNM stages of disease except Stage IV reported a relatively uniform and high quality of life. Pain, functional well-being, a nd social well-being were affected most substantially across all stages and times from diagnosis. Low income status was associated with worse outcomes for pain, ambulation, and social and emotional well-being. Only emotional well-being scores improved significantly over time in both surveys. CONCLUSIONS. Those individuals who achieve a long term remission from color ectal carcinoma may experience a relatively high quality of life, although deficits remain for several areas, particularly in those of low socioeconom ic status. Sampling design may have excluded the most severely ill patients . Cancer 2000;88: 1294-1303. (C) 2000 American Cancer Society.