Quality of life of women with lower limb swelling or lymphedema 3-5 years following endometrial cancer
Ingrid J Rowlands, Vanessa L Beesley, Monika Janda, Sandra C Hayes, Andreas Obermair, Michael A Quinn, Alison Brand, Yee Leung, Lesley McQuire, Penelope M Webb, Australian National Endometrial Cancer Study Group, P Webb, J Young, L McQuire, S Baron-Hay, D Bell, A Bonaventura, A Brand, S Braye, J Carter, F Chan, C Dalrymple, A Ferrier, G Gard, N Hacker, R Hogg, R Houghton, D Marsden, K McIlroy, G Otton, S Pather, A Proietto, G Robertson, J Scurry, R Sharma, G Wain, F Wong, J Armes, A Crandon, M Cummings, R Land, J Nicklin, L Perrin, A Obermair, B Ward, M Davy, T Dodd, J Miller, M Oehler, S Paramasivum, J Pierides, F Whitehead, P Blomfield, D Challis, D Neesham, J Pyman, M Quinn, R Rome, M Weitzer, B Brennan, I Hammond, Y Leung, A McCartney, C Stewart, J Thompson, A B Spurdle, Ingrid J Rowlands, Vanessa L Beesley, Monika Janda, Sandra C Hayes, Andreas Obermair, Michael A Quinn, Alison Brand, Yee Leung, Lesley McQuire, Penelope M Webb, Australian National Endometrial Cancer Study Group, P Webb, J Young, L McQuire, S Baron-Hay, D Bell, A Bonaventura, A Brand, S Braye, J Carter, F Chan, C Dalrymple, A Ferrier, G Gard, N Hacker, R Hogg, R Houghton, D Marsden, K McIlroy, G Otton, S Pather, A Proietto, G Robertson, J Scurry, R Sharma, G Wain, F Wong, J Armes, A Crandon, M Cummings, R Land, J Nicklin, L Perrin, A Obermair, B Ward, M Davy, T Dodd, J Miller, M Oehler, S Paramasivum, J Pierides, F Whitehead, P Blomfield, D Challis, D Neesham, J Pyman, M Quinn, R Rome, M Weitzer, B Brennan, I Hammond, Y Leung, A McCartney, C Stewart, J Thompson, A B Spurdle
Abstract
Objective: To quantitatively assess and compare the quality of life (QoL) of women with a self-reported diagnosis of lower limb lymphedema (LLL), to women with lower limb swelling (LLS), and to women without LLL or LLS following treatment for endometrial cancer.
Methods: 1399 participants in the Australian National Endometrial Cancer Study were sent a follow-up questionnaire 3-5 years after diagnosis. Women were asked if they had experienced swelling in the lower limbs and, if so, whether they had received a diagnosis of lymphedema by a health professional. The 639 women who responded were categorized as: Women with LLL (n=68), women with LLS (n=177) and women without LLL or LLS (n=394). Multivariable-adjusted generalized linear models were used to compare women's physical and mental QoL by LLL status.
Results: On average, women were 65 years of age and 4 years after diagnosis. Women with LLL had clinically lower physical QoL (M=41.8, SE=1.4) than women without LLL or LLS (M=45.1, SE=0.8, p=.07), however, their mental QoL was within the normative range (M=49.6; SE=1.1 p=1.0). Women with LLS had significantly lower physical (M=41.0, SE=1.0, p=.003) and mental QoL (M=46.8; SE=0.8, p<.0001) than women without LLL or LLS (Mental QoL: M=50.6, SE=0.8).
Conclusion: Although LLL was associated with reductions in physical QoL, LLS was related to reductions in both physical and mental QoL 3-5 years after cancer treatment. Early referral to evidence-based lymphedema programs may prevent long-term impairments to women's QoL.
Keywords: Endometrial cancer; Lower-limb swelling; Lymphedema; Quality of life.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Source: PubMed