Intra-abdominal Surgery and Intestinal Syndromes After Pelvic Radiation Therapy.

Purpose: To determine the effects of intra-abdominal surgery on the intensities of 5 radiation-induced intestinal syndromes in survivors of pelvic cancer.

Methods And Materials: The analysis included 623 women born in 1927 or later who had survived cancer. They all had received external radiation therapy toward the pelvic area to treat gynecologic cancers.

Barriers to and strategies for dealing with vaginal dilator therapy - Female pelvic cancer survivors' experiences: A qualitative study.

Purpose: Vaginal changes, a frequently reported late effect among women treated with pelvic radiotherapy, can result in sexual dysfunction and distress. Women are recommended vaginal dilator therapy after completed radiotherapy; however, low adoption has been recognized. This study aims to provide insight into women's difficulties with carrying out vaginal dilator therapy and their experiences of information.

Sexual health and wellbeing among female pelvic cancer survivors following individualized interventions in a nurse-led clinic.

Purpose: Treatment-induced sexual and intestinal dysfunctions coexist among women after pelvic radiotherapy. We aimed to explore if sexual health and wellbeing may be improved after radiotherapy following nurse-led interventions and if an association exists between improved intestinal health and sexual health.

Methods: A population-based cohort of women treated with pelvic radiotherapy underwent interventions at a nurse-led clinic at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden, from 2011 to 2017.

Living in limbo: Meanings of living with fecal incontinence as narrated by women after treatment for pelvic cancer.

Purpose: After pelvic radiotherapy, individuals suffer from loose stools and defecation urgency, often resulting in fecal incontinence (FI). Women who have been treated for pelvic cancer report FI as one of the most troubling symptoms, yet they avoid seeking healthcare due to shame and stigmatization. There is a lack of knowledge concerning women's lived experiences of FI in daily life after pelvic radiotherapy.

Cohort profile: an observational longitudinal data collection of health aspects in a cohort of female cancer survivors with a history of pelvic radiotherapy-a population-based cohort in the western region of Sweden.

Purpose: The study 'Health among women after pelvic radiotherapy' was conducted in response to the need for more advanced and longitudinal data concerning long-term radiotherapy-induced late effects and chronic states among female cancer survivors. The objective of this paper is to detail the cohort profile and the study procedure in order to provide a sound basis for future analyses of the study cohort.

Participants: Since 2011, and still currently ongoing, participants have been recruited from a population-based study cohort including all female patients with cancer, over 18 years of age, treated with pelvic radiotherapy with curative intent at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, in the western region of Sweden, which covers 1.

Sexual health and wellbeing after pelvic radiotherapy among women with and without a reported history of sexual abuse: important issues in cancer survivorship care.

Aims: Sexual abuse is a women's health concern globally. Although experience of sexual abuse and cancer may constitute risk factors for sexual dysfunction and low wellbeing, the effects of sexual abuse have received little attention in oncology care. This study aims to explore sexual health and wellbeing in women after pelvic radiotherapy and to determine the relationship between sexual abuse and sexual dysfunction, and decreased wellbeing.

Dose-response relationships of intestinal organs and excessive mucus discharge after gynaecological radiotherapy.

Background: The study aims to determine possible dose-volume response relationships between the rectum, sigmoid colon and small intestine and the 'excessive mucus discharge' syndrome after pelvic radiotherapy for gynaecological cancer.

Methods And Materials: From a larger cohort, 98 gynaecological cancer survivors were included in this study. These survivors, who were followed for 2 to 14 years, received external beam radiation therapy but not brachytherapy and not did not have stoma.

Intake of citrus fruits and vegetables and the intensity of defecation urgency syndrome among gynecological cancer survivors.

Background: Despite the experimental evidence that certain dietary compounds lower the risk of radiation-induced damage to the intestine, clinical data are missing and dietary advice to irradiated patients is not evidence-based.

Materials And Methods: We have previously identified 28 intestinal health-related symptoms among 623 gynaecological-cancer survivors (three to fifteen years after radiotherapy) and 344 matched population-based controls. The 28 symptoms were grouped into five radiation-induced survivorship syndromes: defecation-urgency syndrome, fecal-leakage syndrome, excessive mucus discharge, excessive gas discharge and blood discharge.

Lived experiences and quality of life after gynaecological cancer-An integrative review.

Aim And Objectives: To review the literature on Nordic women's lived experiences and quality of life (QoL) after gynaecological cancer treatment.

Background: While incidence and survival are increasing in all groups of gynaecological cancers in the Nordic countries, inpatient hospitalisation has become shorter in relation to treatment. This has increased the need for follow-up and rehabilitation.

Dose-response relationships of the sigmoid for urgency syndrome after gynecological radiotherapy.

Purpose: To find out what organs and doses are most relevant for 'radiation-induced urgency syndrome' in order to derive the corresponding dose-response relationships as an aid for avoiding the syndrome in the future.

Material And Methods: From a larger group of gynecological cancer survivors followed-up 2-14 years, we identified 98 whom had undergone external beam radiation therapy but not brachytherapy and not having a stoma. Of those survivors, 24 developed urgency syndrome.

Late radiation-induced bowel syndromes, tobacco smoking, age at treatment and time since treatment - gynecological cancer survivors.

Background: It is unknown whether smoking; age at time of radiotherapy or time since radiotherapy influence the intensity of late radiation-induced bowel syndromes.

Material And Methods: We have previously identified 28 symptoms decreasing bowel health among 623 gynecological-cancer survivors (three to twelve years after radiotherapy) and 344 matched population-based controls. The 28 symptoms were grouped into five separate late bowel syndromes through factor analysis.

Identifying radiation-induced survivorship syndromes affecting bowel health in a cohort of gynecological cancer survivors.

Background: During radiotherapy unwanted radiation to normal tissue surrounding the tumor triggers survivorship diseases; we lack a nosology for radiation-induced survivorship diseases that decrease bowel health and we do not know which symptoms are related to which diseases.

Methods: Gynecological-cancer survivors were followed-up two to 15 years after having undergone radiotherapy; they reported in a postal questionnaire the frequency of 28 different symptoms related to bowel health. Population-based controls gave the same information.

Time-dependent dose-response relation for absence of vaginal elasticity after gynecological radiation therapy.

Background And Purpose: To investigate the dose-response relation between the dose to the vagina and the patient-reported symptom 'absence of vaginal elasticity' and how time to follow-up influences this relation.

Material And Methods: The study included 78 long-term gynecological cancer survivors treated between 1991 and 2003 with external beam radiation therapy. Of those, 24 experienced absence of vaginal elasticity.

[Early and individualized cancer rehabilitation important].

Survivors of gynecological cancer experience physical, psychological and existential consequences. Late gastrointestinal and urinary bladder symptoms, sexual dysfunction, including underlying physical and relational aspects, as well as lymphedema and fatigue, are common complaints. This may lead to reduced quality of life and social functioning and cancer rehabilitation is needed.

Lower limb lymphedema in gynecological cancer survivors--effect on daily life functioning.

Purpose: Lower limb lymphedema (LLL) is a common condition after pelvic cancer treatment but few studies have evaluated its effect on the quality of life and its consequences on daily life activities among gynecological cancer survivors.

Methods: We identified a cohort of 789 eligible women, treated with pelvic radiotherapy alone or as part of combined treatment of gynecological cancer, from 1991 to 2003 at two departments of gynecological oncology in Sweden. As a preparatory study, we conducted in-depth interviews with gynecological cancer survivors and constructed a study-specific questionnaire which we validated face-to-face.

Dose-response relationships for an atomized symptom of fecal incontinence after gynecological radiotherapy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate what bowel organ and delivered dose levels are most relevant for the development of 'emptying of all stools into clothing without forewarning' so that the related dose-responses could be derived as an aid in avoiding this distressing symptom in the future.

Material And Methods: Of the 77 gynecological cancer survivors treated with radiotherapy (RT) for gynecological cancer, 13 developed the symptom. The survivors were treated between 1991 and 2003.

Cancer survivors' perception of participation in a long-term follow-up study.

Every year medical researchers make contact with a large number of cancer survivors with the aim of evaluating cancer treatment. For this reason we decided to investigate how Swedish cancer survivors perceived their participation in research studies focusing on the long-term consequences of being a survivor of gynaecological or urinary bladder cancer. Data were collected by means of two study-specific postal questionnaires, both consisting of questions covering physical symptoms, well-being and the experience of being a cancer survivor.

Relative importance of hip and sacral pain among long-term gynecological cancer survivors treated with pelvic radiotherapy and their relationships to mean absorbed doses.

Purpose: To investigate the relative importance of patient-reported hip and sacral pain after pelvic radiotherapy (RT) for gynecological cancer and its relationship to the absorbed doses in these organs.

Methods And Materials: We used data from a population-based study that included 650 long-term gynecological cancer survivors treated with pelvic RT in the Gothenburg and Stockholm areas in Sweden with a median follow-up of 6 years (range, 2-15) and 344 population controls. Symptoms were assessed through a study-specific postal questionnaire.

Nurse-led care for the management of side effects of pelvic radiotherapy: what does it achieve?

Purpose Of Review: To describe what a nurse-led clinic can achieve, focusing on gastrointestinal side effects after pelvic radiotherapy. This article illustrates how a structured approach for management and treatment of late gastrointestinal symptoms after pelvic radiotherapy can be used as a model for other nurse-led clinics.

Recent Findings: A large majority of cancer survivors treated for gynaecological, rectal and anal cancer suffer from physical symptoms from the bowels, the urinary bladder and the genitals.

Loose stools lead to fecal incontinence among gynecological cancer survivors.

Background: Many patients treated with radiotherapy to the pelvic region report a change in bowel habits. Loose stools, urgency and fecal incontinence may have a significant impact on daily life and social functioning.

Material And Methods: We attempted to follow up 789 women, treated with pelvic radiotherapy for a gynecological cancer during 1991 to 2003 at two departments of gynecological oncology in Sweden.

Pain and mean absorbed dose to the pubic bone after radiotherapy among gynecological cancer survivors.

Purpose: To analyze the relationship between mean absorbed dose to the pubic bone after pelvic radiotherapy for gynecological cancer and occurrence of pubic bone pain among long-term survivors.

Methods And Materials: In an unselected, population-based study, we identified 823 long-term gynecological cancer survivors treated with pelvic radiotherapy during 1991-2003. For comparison, we used a non-radiation-treated control population of 478 matched women from the Swedish Population Register.

Fecal incontinence affecting quality of life and social functioning among long-term gynecological cancer survivors.

Introduction: Fecal incontinence is a symptom reported by cancer survivors after pelvic radiotherapy and is recognized to be one of the most troubling symptom-induced sources of distress to patients.

Objective: To investigate how fecal incontinence, patient-reported as emptying of all stools into clothing without forewarning, impact self-assessed quality of life from a social, psychological, sexual, and functional aspect among gynecological cancer survivors treated with pelvic radiotherapy.

Methods: We identified a cohort of 789 eligible women in the Stockholm and Gothenburg areas treated with pelvic radiotherapy alone or as combined treatment of gynecological cancer.