Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Participation in Activities Associated With Quality of Life for Long-Term Survivors of Rectal Cancer.

Mcmullen C, Liu L, Bulkley JE, Hornbrook MC, Wendel C, Grant M, Altschuler A, Temple LK, Krouse RS, Herrinton L. Participation in Activities Associated With Quality of Life for Long-Term Survivors of Rectal Cancer. The Permanente journal. 2017 Jan 1; 21.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.
   Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions



Abstract:

CONTEXT: Cancer patients'' participation in social, recreational, and civic activities is strongly associated with quality of life (QOL), but these activities are not well integrated into cancer survivorship research or interventions. OBJECTIVE: Test the hypothesis that for long-term ( = 5 years) survivors of rectal cancer, clinical factors (type of surgery and bowel function) are associated with long-term participation in activities and that participation in activities is associated with long-term QOL. DESIGN: Observational study with longitudinal and cross-sectional components. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participation in activities and QOL. Tumor registry records were used to identify patients and obtain clinical data; surveys assessed participation and QOL. Using general linear models, we analyzed participation in activities in relation to type of surgery and bowel function after adjustment for potential confounders. We analyzed overall QOL relative to participation in activities after adjustment. RESULTS: A total of 567 rectal cancer survivors completed a mailed questionnaire. Overall response rate was 61%. The type of operation (p < 0.0001), receipt of radiation therapy (p = 0.002), and bowel function (p < 0.0001) were associated with participation in activities. Participation in activities was the strongest predictor of QOL (p < 0.0001), explaining 20% of the variance (R(2)) in QOL, with all other variables together accounting for another 18% of the variance. CONCLUSION: The importance of participation in activities on rectal cancer survivors'' QOL is underappreciated. We recommend revising QOL instruments used in cancer care and research to include questions about participation in activities. Interventions should address maintenance of preferred activities and adoption of new, fulfilling activities.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.