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Purpose After cancer treatment, it is desirable to maintain or regain a high quality of life (QoL) and the ability to accomplish everyday tasks well. Therefore, we substantiated the scarce knowledge regarding long-term QoL after breast cancer, burdensome problems, and unmet needs for more support. Methods Disease-free breast cancer survivors (n=190) who had participated in two randomized controlled exercise trials during primary treatment were followed up to 5 years post-diagnosis. QoL-related functions and symptoms (EORTC-QLQ-C30/-BR23), health problems, and support needs were assessed. EORTC-QLQ scores were compared with age-matched normative values from the general population in Germany. Results QoL-related functions and symptoms in patients during cancer treatment were worse compared to healthy references, but largely improved over time. Yet, cognitive function and sleep were still significantly impaired at 5-year follow-up. Other common long-term problems included sexual issues (45% of survivors), hot flashes (38%), pain (34%), fatigue (24%), and polyneuropathy (21%). Regression analyses indicated fatigue having the strongest impact on global QoL. Support needs were expressed mainly for menopausal disorders (43%), physical performance (39%), sleep problems (38%), arthralgia (37%), cognitive problems (36%), weight problems (32%), and fatigue (31%). Conclusions While QoL in disease-free breast cancer survivors 5 years post-diagnosis was largely comparable to the general population on average, still many survivors suffered from adverse effects. There appears to be a need for ongoing screening and support regarding fatigue, sleep problems, cognitive problems, arthralgia/pain, menopausal/sexual symptoms, physical performance, and weight problems during and several years following breast cancer therapy.

Purpose This study was designed to identify factors associated with in-intensive care unit (ICU) death and develop a practical mortality risk score for venoarterial-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO)-treated acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. Long-term survivors’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL), anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequencies were also assessed. Methods Data from 138 ECMO-treated AMI patients admitted to two French ICUs (2008–2013) were analyzed. ICU survivors contacted >6 months post-ICU discharge were assessed for HRQOL, psychological and PTSD status. Results Sixty-five patients (47 %) survived to ICU discharge. On the basis of multivariable logistic regression analyses, the ENCOURAGE score was constructed with seven pre-ECMO parameters: age >60, female sex, body mass index >25 kg/m 2 , Glasgow coma score <6, creatinine >150 μmol/L, lactate (<2, 2–8, or >8 mmol/L), and prothrombin activity <50 %. Six months after ECMO, probabilities of survival were 80, 58, 25, 20, and 7 % for ENCOURAGE score classes 0–12, 13–18, 19–22, 23–27, and ≥28, respectively. The ENCOURAGE score ROC AUC [0.84 (95 % CI 0.77–0.91)] was significantly better than those of the SAVE, SAPS II, and SOFA scores. Survivors’ HRQOL evaluated after median follow-up of 32 months revealed satisfactory mental health but persistent physical and emotional-related difficulties, with 34 % (95 % CI 20–49 %) anxiety, 20 % (95 % CI 8–32 %) depression, and 5 % (95 % CI 0–12 %) PTSD symptoms reported. Conclusions The ENCOURAGE score might be a useful tool to predict mortality of severe cardiogenic shock AMI patients who received VA-ECMO. However, it now needs prospective validation on other populations of AMI patients.

Definitive treatment for prostate cancer includes radical prostatectomy (RP), external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), and brachytherapy (BT). The different side effect profiles of these options are crucial factors for patients and clinicians when deciding between treatments. This study reports long‐term health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) for patients in their second decade after treatment for prostate cancer. We used a validated survey to assess urinary, bowel, and sexual function and HRQOL in a prospective cohort of patients diagnosed with localized prostate cancer 14–18 years previously. We report and compare the outcomes of patients who were initially treated with RP, EBRT, or BT. Of 230 eligible patients, the response rate was 92% (n = 211) and median follow‐up was 14.6 years. Compared to baseline, RP patients had significantly worse urinary incontinence and sexual function, EBRT patients had worse scores in all domains, and BT patients had worse urinary incontinence, urinary irritation/obstruction, and sexual function. When comparing treatment groups, RP patients underwent larger declines in urinary continence than did BT patients, and EBRT and BT patients experienced larger changes in urinary irritation/obstruction. Baseline functional status was significantly associated with long‐term function for urinary obstruction and bowel function domains. This is one of the few prospective reports on quality of life for prostate cancer patients beyond 10 years, and adds information about the late consequences of treatment choices. These data may help patients make informed decisions regarding treatment choice based on symptoms they may experience in the decades ahead. We report long‐term quality of life metrics in the urinary, bowel, and sexual function domains for patients following treatment for prostate cancer. These data may help patients make informed decisions regarding their treatment choice based on symptoms they may experience in the decades ahead.

Background Despite quick implementation of reperfusion therapies, a few patients with high-risk, acute, massive, pulmonary embolism (PE) remain highly hemodynamically unstable. Others have absolute contraindication to receive reperfusion therapies. Venoarterial-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) might lower their right ventricular overload, improve hemodynamic status, and restore tissue oxygenation. Methods ECMO-related complications and 90-day mortality were analyzed for 17 highly unstable, ECMO-treated, massive PE patients admitted to a tertiary-care center (2006–2015). Hospital- discharge survivors were assessed for long-term health-related quality of life. A systematic review of this topic was also conducted. Results Seventeen high-risk PE patients [median age 51 (range 18–70) years, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) 78 (45–95)] were placed on VA-ECMO for 4 (1–12) days. Among 15 (82%) patients with pre-ECMO cardiac arrest, seven (41%) were cannulated during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and eight (47%) underwent pre-ECMO thrombolysis. Pre-ECMO median blood pressure, pH, and blood lactate were, respectively: 42 (0–106) mmHg, 6.99 (6.54–7.37) and 13 (4–19) mmol/L. Ninety-day survival was 47%. Fifteen (88%) patients suffered in-ICU severe hemorrhages with no impact on survival. Like other ECMO-treated patients, ours reported limitations of all physical domains but preserved mental health 19 (4–69) months post-ICU discharge. Conclusions VA-ECMO could be a lifesaving rescue therapy for patients with high-risk, acute, massive PE when thrombolytic therapy fails or the patient is too sick to benefit from surgical thrombectomy. Because heparin-induced clot dissolution and spontaneous fibrinolysis allows ECMO weaning within several days, future studies should investigate whether VA-ECMO should be the sole therapy or completed by additional mechanical clot-removal therapies in this setting.

Purpose This study was designed to identify factors associated with death by 6 months post-intensive care unit (ICU) discharge and to develop a practical mortality risk score for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)-treated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients. We also assessed long-term survivors’ health-related quality of life (HRQL), respiratory symptoms, and anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequencies. Methods Data from 140 ECMO-treated ARDS patients admitted to three French ICUs (2008–2012) were analyzed. ICU survivors contacted >6 months post-ICU discharge were assessed for HRQL, psychological and PTSD status. Results Main ARDS etiologies were bacterial (45 %), influenza A[H 1 N 1 ] (26 %) and post-operative (17 %) pneumonias. Six months post-ICU discharge, 84 (60 %) patients were still alive. Based on multivariable logistic regression analysis, the PRESERVE (PRedicting dEath for SEvere ARDS on VV-ECMO) score (0–14 points) was constructed with eight pre-ECMO parameters, i.e. age, body mass index, immunocompromised status, prone positioning, days of mechanical ventilation, sepsis-related organ failure assessment, plateau pressure andpositive end-expiratory pressure. Six-month post-ECMO initiation cumulative probabilities of survival were 97, 79, 54 and 16 % for PRESERVE classes 0–2, 3–4, 5–6 and ≥7 ( p  < 0.001), respectively. HRQL evaluation in 80 % of the 6-month survivors revealed satisfactory mental health but persistent physical and emotional-related difficulties, with anxiety, depression or PTSD symptoms reported, by 34, 25 or 16 %, respectively. Conclusions The PRESERVE score might help ICU physicians select appropriate candidates for ECMO among severe ARDS patients. Future studies should also focus on physical and psychosocial rehabilitation that could lead to improved HRQL in this population.

Background Evidence-based guidelines concerning the older head and neck cancer (HNCA) patient are lacking. Accurate patient selection for optimal care management is therefore challenging. We examined if geriatric assessment is indicative of long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and overall survival in this unique population. Methods All HNCA patients, aged ≥65 years, eligible for curative radio(chemo)therapy were evaluated with the Geriatric-8 (G-8) questionnaire and a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). Euroqol-5 dimensions (EQ-5D) and survival were collected until 36 months post treatment start. Repeated measures ANOVA was applied to analyse HRQOL evolution in ‘fit’ and ‘vulnerable’ patients, defined by G-8. Kaplan-Meier curves and cox proportional hazard analysis were established for determination of the prognostic value of geriatric assessments. Quality-adjusted survival was calculated in both patient subgroups. Results One hundred patients were recruited. Seventy-two percent of patients were considered vulnerable according to CGA (≥2 abnormal tests). Fit patients maintained a relatively acceptable long-term HRQOL, whilst vulnerable patients showed significantly lower median health states. The difference remained apparent at 36 months. Vulnerability, as classified by G-8 or CGA, came forward as independent predictor for lower EQ-5D index scores. After consideration of confounders, a significantly lower survival was observed in patients defined vulnerable according to G-8, compared to fit patients. A similar trend was seen based on CGA. Calculation of quality-adjusted survival showed significantly less remaining life months in perfect health in vulnerable patients, compared to fit ones. Conclusions G-8 is indicative of quality-adjusted survival, and should be considered at time of treatment decisions for the older HNCA patient.

Background Pouchitis is a common late complication in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who undergo ileal pouch–anal anastomosis (IPAA). The heterogeneous nature of the clinical and endoscopic presentations could affect the evaluation of therapeutic interventions for pouchitis. Thus, identifying the risk factors and clinical outcomes of pouch inflammation at different sites and severity is becoming increasingly important for colorectal surgeons. Methods Data on patients who underwent IPAA January from 2008 to June 2022 in our three pouch centers affiliated with the China UC Pouch Center Union were retrospectively collected. Pouchitis was categorized as a different phenotype according to the Chicago Classification. J pouches were classified into short (14 ± 2 cm) and long pouches (22 ± 2 cm) according to the distribution of ileal pouch length in our institute. Results Altogether, 143 patients with a median follow-up time of 5.0 years (interquartile range: 2.0–8.0) were enrolled. Among them, 41 patients (28.7%) developed pouchitis and 32 patients (78%) had diffuse inflammation of the pouch. Patients with diffuse pouchitis had a higher pouchitis disease activity index and more seriously impaired improvement of long-term quality of life than those with pouch phenotypes. A short J pouch, recurrent UC, and preoperative high white blood cell count were independent risk factors for diffuse pouchitis. Furthermore, a short J pouch could effectively predict the occurrence of diffuse pouchitis with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.614, a sensitivity of 62.5%, and a specificity of 60.4% ( p  = 0.049) and significantly decreased the overall diffuse pouchitis-free survival compared to a long J pouch ( p  = 0.0002). Conclusion Diffuse pouchitis is a common phenotype of pouchitis that seriously impairs long-term prognosis. For colorectal surgeons, decision-making regarding pouch construction with an appropriate length should be considered to prevent the development of diffuse pouchitis. Graphical Abstract

Background To compare the differences in long-term quality of life (QoL) between survivors of paediatric and adult patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and assess the clinical factors that predict long-term QoL. Methods We enrolled 420 long-term NPC survivors who were alive for at least 8 years after treatment, including 195 paediatric and 225 adult patients diagnosed and treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Centre (SYSUCC) between 2011 and 2015. Data on clinical factors and EORTC QLQ-C30 were collected from all participants. The QoL of paediatric and adult NPC survivors was compared. Results The paediatric group had significantly better outcomes in global health status (paediatric: 80.2 ± 12.7; adult: 77.2 ± 11.5; P  = 0.027), physical function (paediatric: 98.5 ± 4.6; adult: 95.1 ± 7.0; P  < 0.001), role function (paediatric: 97.0 ± 9.2; adult: 90.5 ± 15.2; P  < 0.001), social function (paediatric: 96.0 ± 8.9; adult: 93.5 ± 11.8; P  = 0.038), insomnia (paediatric: 1.9 ± 7.8; adult: 13.1 ± 22.3; P  < 0.001), constipation (paediatric: 1.3 ± 7.5; adult: 8.0 ± 17.4; P  < 0.001), diarrhea (paediatric: 0.7 ± 4.6; adult: 2.8 ± 9.3; P  = 0.010), and financial difficulties (paediatric: 1.9 ± 7.8; adult: 11.0 ± 19.8; P  < 0.001), but poorer cognitive function (paediatric: 88.3 ± 9.9; adult: 93.8 ± 12.6; P  < 0.001) than the adult group. Pretreatment clinical factors, including T stage, N stage, and pre-treatment EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus) DNA, showed a strong association with QoL. However, the factors that affected the QoL outcomes differed between the two groups. In survivors of paediatric cancer, global health status/QoL was strongly correlated with T stage ( P  < 0.001) and clinical stage ( P  = 0.018), whereas it was strongly correlated with pre-treatment EBV DNA ( P  = 0.008) in adults. Conclusion Paediatric survivors of NPC have a significantly better QoL than adult NPC survivors. Moreover, pre-treatment T stage, N stage, and EBV DNA significantly influenced the overall health status of the survivors. These results highlight the need to tailor care to both age groups to promote better long-term health outcomes.

Background Total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is widely regarded as a definitive surgical option for managing ulcerative colitis (UC). Enhanced recovery programs (ERP) have shown potential in better outcomes following surgery; however, their perioperative benefits in UC patients undergoing IPAA remain insufficiently investigated. Methods This study included UC patients who underwent IPAA between January 2008 and September 2023 across multiple affiliated centers within the China UC Pouch Center Union. Key outcomes analyzed included postoperative complications and long-term quality of life (QOL), assessed via the comprehensive complication index (CCI) and Cleveland Global Quality of Life (CGQL) instrument. Results A total of 216 patients were included, with a median follow-up of 8.0 years (interquartile range, 4.0–11.0 years); 62 patients underwent comprehensive ERP. Results indicated that ERP implementation significantly lowered CCI scores ( p  = 0.036), reduced the incidence of severe complications (CCI > 26.2, p  = 0.019), shortened hospital stays ( p  = 0.046), and improved long-term QOL ( p  < 0.001). Non-adherence to ERP emerged as an independent risk factor for severe postoperative complications (odds ratio, 3.195; 95% confidence interval, 1.332–7.664; p  = 0.009) and impaired QOL (odds ratio, 3.222; 95% confidence interval, 1.462–7.101; p  = 0.004). Conclusion Our study provided supporting evidence for the application of perioperative ERP in a specific homogeneous cohort of UC patients undergoing IPAA to further improve clinical outcomes for them.

(1) Background: Post-COVID syndrome is defined as symptoms that occur simultaneously with or after a COVID-19 infection, last for 12 weeks, and are not due to another diagnosis. Limited data are available on people’s long-term quality of life following a COVID-19 infection. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the long-term quality of life after COVID-19 among employees of a hospital in Germany and to identify risk factors. (2) Methods: A monocentric, cross-sectional study was conducted using the validated and digitized WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire via Netigate® between 10/2022 and 02/2023. Data on the quality of life and global health status were collected in the following four domains: physical health, mental health, social relationships, and the environment. (3) Results: The response rate was 73.8 % (923/1250). Furthermore, 63.4 % of the hospital staff respondents reported at least one persistent symptom after a COVID-19 infection, leading to significant differences in quality of life. Pre-existing conditions, persistent symptoms, and disabilities after a COVID-19 infection as well as a high BMI, no partnership, and a low educational level were found to significantly contribute to a low long-term quality of life. (4) Conclusions: Obesity, a lack of partnership, and a low level of education were independent risk factors for a lower quality of life post-COVID-19 infection in this cohort of hospital staff. Further multicenter studies are required to validate the incidence and their suitability as independent risk factors for post-COVID syndrome.