Quality of life in patients with invasive bladder cancer after radical cystectomy

Abstract

Notwithstanding the fact that advances have been made in various urine derivations, the assessment of life quality in patients who have undergone this type of surgical treatment is still not only a medical problem, but, to a greater extent, a social one. Eighty-seven patients who had undergone radical cystectomy and urine derivation for invasive bladder cancer were examined. According to the type of urine derivation, the patients were divided into groups. Then early and late complications, survival rates, and quality of life were estimated. The latter was assessed by three components: physical, psychological, and urological health. Emphasis is laid on physical health component in assessing the quality of life. The special questionnaire applied to the assessment of life quality in patients undergoing urine derivation may be useful for this purpose in those after other urological operations.