Prognostic features for quality of life after radical cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder

PURPOSE To analyse prognostic features on quality of life (QoL) following radical cystectomy and urinary diversion via orthotopic neobladder in a single-centre patient cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS Postoperative QoL of 152 patients was assessed retrospectively using the validated QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Potential associations of patient's quality of life including pre-and intraoperative characteristics, surgeon experience, postoperative time course, adjuvant therapies, and functional outcome were defined a priori and evaluated. Mann-Whitney-U-, Kruskal-Wallis-, Spearman correlation and post hoctesting were used. A multivariate analysis using a multiple logistic regression model was performed. A p value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS Median follow-up was 48 months. Univariate analysis of prognostic features for health-related QoL revealed a significant impact of gender (p=0.019), performance status (p<0.001), experience of surgeon (>100 previous cystectomies, p=0.007), and nerve-sparing surgery (p=0.001). Patients who underwent secondary chemotherapy or radiotherapy had significant lower QLQ-C30 scores (p=0.04, p=0.02 respectively). Patients who were asymptomatic had a significantly higher quality of life (p<0.001). A significant impact of severity of incontinence based on ICIQ-SF score (p<0.001) and daily pad usage (p<0.001), existence of daytime incontinence (p<0.001), existence of urgency symptoms (p=0.007), and IIEF-5 score (p<0.001) could be observed. In multivariate analysis, independent prognostic relevance could be confirmed for preoperative ECOG performance status of 0 (p=0.020 vs. ECOG 1, p=0.047 vs. ECOG 2), experience of the respective surgeon (≥100 vs. <100 previous cystectomies, p=0.021), and daytime continence (p=0.032). CONCLUSION In the present study, we report health-related QoL outcomes in a contemporary patient cohort and confirm preoperative ECOG status, surgeon experience and daytime incontinence as independent prognostic features for a good postoperative QoL.