Complications among colorectal cancer survivors: SF-6D preference-weighted quality of life scores

Background: Societal preference-weighted health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores enable comparing multidimensional health states across diseases and treatments for research and policy. Objective: To assess the effects of living with a permanent intestinal stoma, compared with a major bowel resection, among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors. Research Design: Cross-sectional multivariate linear regression analysis to explain preference-weighted HRQOL scores. Subjects: In all, 640 CRC survivors (5 years) from 3 group model health maintenance organizations; ostomates and nonostomates with colorectal resections for CRC were matched on gender, age (±5 years), time since diagnosis, and tumor site (rectum vs. colon). Measures: SF-6D scoring system was applied to Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 version 2 (SF-36v2); City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy; and Charlson-Deyo comorbidity index. Methods: Survey of CRC survivors linked to respondents' clinical data extracted from health maintenance organization files. Results: Response rate was 52%. Ostomates and nonostomates had similar sociodemographic characteristics. Mean SF-6D score was 0.69 for ostomates, compared with 0.73 for nonostomates (P < 0.001), but other factors explained this difference. Complications of initial cancer surgery, and previous year comorbidity burden, and hospital use were negatively associated with SF-6D scores, whereas household income was positively associated. Conclusions: CRC survivors' SF-6D scores were not associated with living with a permanent ostomy after other factors were taken into account. Surgical complications, comorbidities, and metastatic disease lowered the preference-weighted HRQOL of CRC survivors with and without ostomies. Further research to understand and reduce late complications from CRC surgeries as well as associated depression is warranted.