Health related quality of life assessment after radical cystectomy: comparison of ileal conduit with continent orthotopic neobladder

PURPOSE: Health related quality of life after urinary diversion has been increasingly recognized as an important outcome measure. However, few studies have directly compared patients with an ileal conduit with those with a continent orthotopic neobladder and even fewer have used validated quality of life instruments. Therefore, we compared health related quality of life in patients who underwent neobladder versus ileal conduit creation using validated questionnaires. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We mailed 2 validated questionnaires that are measures of health related quality of life, namely the RAND 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), to patients who underwent radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma between January 1995 and December 1999. Statistical analysis was performed, including univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: A total of 112 patients were available for assessment. A total of 72 (64%) questionnaires were returned, including 23 (32%) and 49 (68%) from patients with an ileal conduit and neobladder, respectively. On the SF-36 questionnaire there were significant univariable relationships between treatment and age (p <0.001 and 0.01, respectively). Younger patients and those with a neobladder had higher health related quality of life scores, including significant differences in 5 of the 9 SF-36 domains (general health, physical functioning, physical health, social functioning and energy/fatigue). There was no relationship between health related quality of life and the final pathological stage (p = 0.25). On multivariate analysis adjusting for age led to a suggestive but nonsignificant difference in health related quality of life scores favoring neobladders (p = 0.09). On the FACT-G there were no significant differences in health related quality of life due to treatment (p = 0.28), pathological stage (p = 0.5), age (p = 0.72) or current disease status (p = 0.27). On the FACT-G 2 of the 4 domains (emotional and functional well-being) were significantly in favor of neobladders. Overall satisfaction was high in the 2 groups with 96% and 85% of patients with a neobladder and ileal conduit, respectively, reporting that they would make the same choice of diversion. CONCLUSIONS: Based on validated health related quality of life instruments these findings suggest that patients with an orthotopic neobladder have marginal quality of life advantages over those with an ileal conduit. However, differences in health related quality of life in the 2 types of urinary diversion are confounded by age since patients who underwent orthotopic diversion were younger and as a result of age would be expected to have a higher health related quality of life score. A prospective longitudinal study of health related quality of life after adjusting for differences in age among patients undergoing urinary diversion is currently underway to extend further these observations.