Patient Reported Outcomes Following Cancer of the Rectum

In the researchers' words

The surgical management of rectal cancer includes a Total Mesorectal Excison (TME); depending on the height of the tumor, the problem of preservation of the anal sphincter arises, being able to perform a low anterior resection, an ultra-low anterior resection (RAUB) or an intersphincteric dissection. In some cases invading the sphincters or the puborectalis muscle, an abdominoperineal resection needs to be performed, being the gold standard in this particular situation so far. TME can be performed by open, laparoscopic, robotic or transanal approaches, as long as the oncological principles for the resection are achieved. Unfortunately, up to 90% of these patients will present a change in bowel habit, ranging from an increased frequency of bowel movements to the degree of fecal incontinence or evacuation dysfunction. Of these patients, 25-50% will have a severe alteration in the quality of life. This wide spectrum of symptoms has been called "low anterior resection syndrome" (LARS). Other collateral damage is the change in sexual and urinary function, due to hypogastric plexus injury. There is a significant lack of multicenter prospective studies that provide evidence, and that reveal the functional results and quality of life of these techniques available to date for the management of rectal cancer. The study is set up as a prospective multicentre observational study.…