Quality of Life in Rectal Cancer Patients

Abstract

As more and more patients are surviving rectal cancer, owing to advances in treatment, survivorship issues are now at the forefront of clinical practice and research. The patient’s well-being or quality of life (QoL) is inevitably affected by rectal cancer and its treatment, usually in a variety of ways. The exact impact depends on the aspect of life concerned, tumor characteristics, the treatment involved, the measurement method and timing, as well as the patient. This chapter presents a collection of current knowledge regarding QoL in rectal cancer patients, including the conceptual definition of QoL, QoL measurement and interpretation, QoL following standard and complex rectal cancer surgery, QoL after neoadjuvant therapy, and QoL with or without a permanent colostomy. Better understanding of QoL in rectal cancer not only facilitates enhanced patient information, communication and shared decision-making throughout the patient journey, but also underpins initiatives towards preventing and managing adverse effects to ensure that both the length and quality of the patient’s life are optimized.