0000000000234497
AUTHOR
Goetz Schoenefuss
The impact of treatment for genital cancer on quality of life and body image—results of a prospective longitudinal 10-year study
Abstract Objective . To evaluate the impact of treatment for genital cancer on quality of life and body image to determine patients' therapy-related needs for quality improvement of medical care before and after surgery. Methods . We started to evaluate women with cervical cancer planned for pelvic exenteration in 1993 and integrated women planned for a Wertheim–Meigs surgery in 1995 before surgery, 4 and 12 months after surgery. Thanks to funding since 1999, more than 400 patients with a diagnosis of genital ( n = 185) or breast ( n = 217) cancer participated in this prospective study until July 2003. In this paper, we will focus on n = 129 women with cervical cancer. The assessment protoc…
The physician-patient relationship before cancer treatment: a prospective longitudinal study.
Abstract Objectives . To evaluate quality of life before surgery for genital cancer to determine risk factors that might influence the physician–patient relationship. Methods . From 1993 until 2003, 129 women with cervical cancer entered this prospective study. Patients were contacted 1 to 5 days before surgery by a psychologist or psychotherapeutically trained physician on the surgical ward. The semistructured interview included questions on the patient's psychosocial well-being according to criteria of the biographic interview technique. The preoperative anxiety level was evaluated by the STAI and quality of life by the Cancer Rehabilitation Evaluation System (CARES) and EORTC questionnai…