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. 2014 Apr-Jun;27(2):96-100.
doi: 10.1590/s0102-67202014000200003.

Quality of life, pain, anxiety and depression in patients surgically treated with cancer of rectum

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Letácio José Freire Santos  1 , João Batista dos Santos Garcia  1 , Jairo Sousa Pacheco  1 , Erica Brandão de Morais Vieira  1 , Alcione Miranda dos Santos  1
Affiliations

Quality of life, pain, anxiety and depression in patients surgically treated with cancer of rectum

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Letácio José Freire Santos et al. Arq Bras Cir Dig. 2014 Apr-Jun.

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Background: The rectum cancer is associated with high rates of complications and morbidities with great impact on the lives of affected individuals.

Aim: To evaluate quality of life, pain, anxiety and depression in patients treated for medium and lower rectum cancer, submitted to surgical intervention.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Eighty-eight records of patients with medium and lower rectum cancer, submitted to surgical intervention were selected, and enrolled. Forty-seven patients died within the study period, and the other 41 were studied. Question forms EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-CR38 were used to assess quality of life. Pain evaluation was carried out using the Visual Analogical Scale, depression and anxiety were assessed through Depression Inventories and Beck's Anxiety, respectively. The correlation between pain intensity, depression and anxiety was carried out, and between these and the EORTC QLQ-C30 General Scale for Health Status and overall quality of life, as well as the EORTC QLQ-CR38 functional and symptom scales.

Results: Of the 41 patients of the study, 52% presented pain, depression in 47%, and anxiety in 39%. There was a marking positive correlation between pain intensity and depression. There was a moderate negative correlation between depression and general health status, and overall quality of life as well as pain intensity with the latter. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between future depression perspective and sexual function, and also a strong positive correlation between depression and sexual impairments. A positive correlation between anxiety and gastro-intestinal problems, both statistically significant, was observed.

Conclusion: Evaluation scales showed detriment on quality life evaluation, besides an elevated incidence of pain, depression, and anxiety; a correlation among these, and factors which influence on the quality of life of post-surgical medium and lower rectum cancer patients was observed.

Racional: O câncer de reto está associado com altos índices de complicações e morbidade com grande impacto na vida dos indivíduos por ele acometidos.

Objetivo: Avaliar a qualidade de vida, dor, depressão e ansiedade em pacientes com câncer de reto médio e inferior, submetidos à intervenção cirúrgica com intenção curativa.

Métodos: Trata-se de estudo descritivo, transversal. Foram selecionados inicialmente 88 prontuários de pacientes com câncer de reto médio e inferior submetidos à operação radical. Destes, 47 faleceram no período e os 41 remanescentes foram convocados para o estudo. Avaliouse a qualidade de vida pelos questionários EORTC QLQ-C30 e O EORTC QLQ-CR38, e a dor através da Escala Visual Analógica; para depressão e ansiedade utilizaram-se os Inventários de Depressão e Ansiedade de Beck respectivamente. Foi feita a correlação entre intensidade da dor, depressão, ansiedade entre estes e a Escala de Estado Geral de Saúde e Qualidade de Vida Global do EORTC QLQ-C30, além das escalas funcionais e de sintomas do EORTC QLQ-CR38.

Resultados: Dos 41 pacientes que compareceram, 52% apresentaram dor, 47% depressão e 39% ansiedade. Houve correlação positiva forte entre intensidade dolorosa e depressão, correlação negativa moderada entre depressão e estado geral de saúde e qualidade de vida global, e desta com a intensidade dolorosa. Houve correlação negativa estatisticamente significante entre depressão perspectiva futura e função sexual, assim como correlação positiva forte entre depressão e problemas sexuais. Observou-se correlação positiva entre ansiedade e problemas gastrointestinais e sexuais, ambos estatisticamente significantes.

Conclusão: Houve prejuízo nas escalas de avaliação da qualidade de vida. Além da alta prevalência de dor, depressão e ansiedade, observou-se correlações entre estes e fatores que influenciam a qualidade de vida dos portadores de câncer de reto médio e inferior após a operação.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: none

Figures

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Figure 1
Flowchart of patients' selection process
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