285 Quality of life (QOL) after conservative therapy for infiltrating bladder cancer: A preliminary report

Abstract

<h3>Aim</h3> To evaluate the Quality of Life (QoL) after organ-sparing therapy for T2–T3 bladder cancer. <h3>Patients and methods</h3> We pointed out that the main QoL domains after bladder-sparing therapy are similar to these of patients (pts) affected by prostatic cancer. So we developed an autocompilative questionnaire proceeded in many domains from EORTC questionnaire for prostatic cancer QoL. We performed a cross-cultural adaptation process and validated the translation from the original language. The answers were weighted by a different numeric value and several summary scores reflecting the main QoL domains were obtained. The highest values showed a better QoL degree. We mailed this questionnaire to 50 pts treated in our institutions by radiotherapy (34 pts) or concomitant radiochemotherapy (16 pts). Until now 30 questionnaires returned; of these 24 are evaluable. All pts were free of local recurrence and not underwent salvage cystectomy. <h3>Results</h3> Most of the pts showed a good QoL, generally obtaining a high score in all domains. In a scale ranging from 1 to 4, 50% of the pta had a physical score≥3,83.3% a symptomatic score≥3, 57.1% a sexual score≥3,87.5% a general score≥3; in a scale ranging from 1 to 2, 70.8% pts had a psychological score≥1.5 and 100% a relational score≥1.5. <h3>Conclusion</h3> The organ-sparing therapy for bladder cancer allows a good QaL.