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Care-related Quality of Life instrument. (DOCX 131Â kb)

Objective A low sexual function (SF) has been reported in patients with colorectal cancer. However, research often focusses on clinical predictors of SF, hereby omitting patients’ subjective evaluation of SF [i.e., the quality of sexual life (QoSL)] and psychosocial predictors of SF and QoSL. In addition, research incorporating a biopsychosocial approach to SF and QoSL is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate (I) relatedness between SF and the QoSL, (II) the course of SF and QoSL, and (III) biopsychosocial predictors of SF and QoSL. Methods Patients completed questionnaires assessing sociodemographic factors (i.e., age, sex) and personality characteristics (i.e., neuroticism, trait anxiety) before surgery. Questionnaires assessing psychological (i.e., anxious and depressive symptoms, body image, fatigue) and social (i.e., sexual activity, SF, non-sensuality, avoidance of sexual activity, non-communication, relationship function) aspects were measured preoperative and 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Clinical characteristics were obtained from the Eindhoven Cancer Registry (ECR). Bivariate correlations evaluated relatedness between SF and QoSL. Linear mixed-effects models examined biopsychosocial predictors of SF and QoSL. Results SF and QoSL are related constructs (r=0.206 to 0.642). Compared to preoperative scores, SF did not change over time (P>0.05). Overall, patients’ QoSL decreased postoperatively (P=0.001). A higher age (β=−0.02, P=0.006), fatigue (β=−0.02, P=0.034), not being sexually active (β=−0.081, P

To examine the usefulness of the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) in women with benign breast problems (BBP) and women with early stage breast cancer (BC). Women with a palpable lump in the breast or an abnormality on a screening mammography (N = 560) completed the FAS (four time points) and measures of anxiety, depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and fatigue. The FAS appeared to have a good fit in the total population (Comparative Fit Index (CFI) =.96; X-2 ((29)) = 104.5; p

Up to 41 % of patients report pain after cholecystectomy and in most studies follow-up for these symptoms did not exceed 5 years. The episodic nature of abdominal pain associated with symptomatic cholelithiasis warrants long-term follow-up studies. We assessed which patient and surgical factors were associated with absence of pain and patient-reported success of surgery after a parts per thousand yen5 years of follow-up. Patients of a parts per thousand yen18 years of age with symptomatic cholelithiasis, classified as ASA I or II, who had previously returned a preoperative questionnaire were sent a questionnaire consisting of the gastrointestinal quality of life index (GIQLI) and patient ratings of current versus presurgical abdominal symptoms and of surgery result. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine associations. Questionnaires were sent to 197 patients and returned by 126 (64.0 %) patients (73.8 % female, mean age at surgery 47.5 +/- A 12.2 years) at a mean of 10.0 +/- A 1.0 years after cholecystectomy. Absence of abdominal pain was reported by 60.3 % of the patients. Patients classified as ASA II as opposed to ASA I were less likely to report absence of pain (OR 0.41, 95 % CI 0.17-0.99). A positive rating of long-term postsurgical versus presurgical abdominal symptoms was given by 89.7 % of the patients and 90.5 % considered the cholecystectomy result to be good. No variables were significantly associated with these latter two outcome measures. We found a high patient-reported surgery success rate after > 5 years of follow-up after cholecystectomy despite residual abdominal pain in some of these patients. None of the patient and surgery-related characteristics were consistently associated with all three outcome measures. This discrepancy between patient' outcomes highlights the need for realistic expectations prior to cholecystectomy.