Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation for Gynecological Cancer Patients

Patients with cervical or colorectal cancer who underwent surgery or radiotherapy are recruited for the study.

• PFM strength is measured using a perineometer (BioCon-200,McubeTechnologyCompany,Seoul,Korea). Vaginal pressure is measured using a vaginal silicon pressure sensor (cmH2O; sensitivity0.06kPa,sensitivity 5mV, threshold1.5V).
• The motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from the pelvic floor are obtained by sacral and transcranial magnetic stimulation using a Magstim 200 stimulator (Magstim Co., Whitland, Wales, UK). Patients are instructed to lie in the left lateral decubitus position,intra-anal sponge electrode (Dantec,Skovlund, Denmark)was lubricated and gently inserted into the anal canal.
• Monophasic single pulses of magnetic stimuli were delivered to the vertex corresponding to the primary motor center in the precentral gyrus using a double-cone coil(9902-00,Magstim). A figure-eight coil(9762-00,Magstim)was used to stimulate the dorsolateral area of the sacrum corresponding to the exit of the sacral cortical facilitation
• We measured the latency, amplitude, and excitability threshold(ET) of MEPs detected in pelvic floor muscles with and without facilitation. The excitability threshold at rest(RET) is defined as the lowest intensity that produced MEP responses of 100μV For optimal facilitation, we measure the latency of the MEPs with minimal contraction (10% of MVC) with RET intensity and amplitude with a moderate contraction
• Patient-reported HRQOL Quality of life General and condition-specific aspects of HRQOL were assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaires.