Health-related quality of life in bladder cancer patients undergoing radical cystectomy and urinary stoma: still many gaps

Caregiver experiences of caring for family members with urostomy: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

In China, bladder tumors rank first for morbidity and mortality among urological and reproductive system tumors. Total radical cystectomy plus urinary flow conversion is the gold standard for the treatment of muscle-layer invasive bladder cancer. With an increasing number of radical cystectomies each year, the number of patients living with urostomy is growing. After discharge, primary care of urostomy patients is given at home, and high demands are placed on home caregivers due to issues of privacy and the complexity of replacing the urostomy device. This research explored the challenges faced by the family caregivers of urostomy patients.

METHODS

We used descriptive qualitative research methods to conduct interviews with twenty-five family caregivers of patients with urostomy. Survey subjects were from five general hospitals. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Three critical challenges were identified-confusion, family crisis, and struggle psychology. Within these three themes, six sub-themes were constructed by coders. They were knowledge and skill deficiency, strong insecurities and uncertainties, role conflict, economic burden, emotional overwhelmed and calm acceptance.

CONCLUSION

Family caregivers play a critical role in patient care, and especially in urostomy care. Caregiving is associated with significant challenges that hinder the family caregiver's ability to effectively care for the patient, further diminishing the caregiver's quality of life. Therefore, healthcare professionals should consider the challenges faced by family caregivers and take measures to obviate them through education, preparation, and support.

Quality of life and psycho-emotional wellbeing in bladder cancer patients and their caregivers: a comparative analysis between urostomy versus ileal orthotopic neobladder

BACKGROUND

The impact of neobladder and urostomy on bladder cancer patient's health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) is controversial and many issues currently remain under-investigated. Initial studies pointed out that the emotional responses of caregivers might be 'contagious', influencing emotional reactions in bladder cancer patients undergoing radical cystectomy.

METHODS

Three hundred and eighty-two bladder cancer patients (aged M = 67.29 years; SD = 9.23) (16.9% (65) were female and 82.9% (319) were male) and their caregivers were enrolled. Data were collected prospectively: at T0 (1 month before the surgery), at T1 (2 weeks after the surgery, at patient discharge from the hospital) and at T2 (6-month follow-up). At each time point (T0, T1 and T2), a set of questionnaires (EORT QLQ-C30 and emotion thermometer) were given to patients and their caregivers.

RESULTS

All patients reported a general improvement in the HR-QoL and global health status/QoL from T0 to T2 (p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed between neobladder and urostomy. At T0, the emotional thermometer total scoring in caregivers was positive in relation to HR-QoL (p < 0.001) and negative in relation to the patient's perception of QoL (p < 0.001) and global health (p < 0.001). Similar trends were observed at T1 and T2.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that patients and their caregiver's emotional reactions to cancer are deep-rooted and strongly interconnected, and they provide innovative insights for the clinical management of bladder cancer patients.