Objectives:The goal of this longitudinal study was to explore how gastrointestinal-symptom distress and benefit finding together influence health-related quality of life (HRQOL) over time in colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors. Colorectal cancer (CRC) survivorship may differ from other cancer types due to the persistent burden of gastrointestinal symptoms. The highly visible and socially sensitive nature of these sequelae may influence the trajectory of benefit finding compared with other cancers. Specifically, we explored whether increases in symptom distress predicted declines in physical and mental HRQOL whether benefit finding was directly related to or buffered the negative impact of symptom distress on HRQOL.Methods:Participants were 73 Taiwanese women and men who underwent surgery for CRC. Using a three-time-point, multilevel framework, participants were assessed at 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to investigate whether gastrointestinal-symptom distress and benefit finding covary over time with HRQOL.Results:The results indicated that increases in gastrointestinal-symptom distress were linked to declines in both physical and mental HRQOL. Benefit finding had no direct association with HRQOL but significantly moderated the symptom-HRQOL relationship, weakening the negative impact of symptom distress among those with higher benefit finding.Conclusions:Rises in a CRC survivor’s gastrointestinal-symptom distress went hand-in-hand with drops in both physical and mental HRQOL. This study adds to the literature in that benefit finding has a favorable effect on cancer adjustment when patients face higher symptom distress after the surgery and treatment. Further implications on possible mechanisms were discussed.
目的：本纵向研究旨在探讨结直肠癌幸存者中，胃肠道症状困扰与益处发现如何随时间共同影响健康相关生活质量。由于胃肠道症状的持续负担，结直肠癌的生存状况可能与其他癌症类型有所不同。这些后遗症的高度可见性和社会敏感性，可能使益处发现的发展轨迹区别于其他癌症。具体而言，我们探究了症状困扰的增加是否预示着身心生活质量的下降，以及益处发现是直接与生活质量相关，还是能够缓冲症状困扰对生活质量的负面影响。 方法：研究对象为73名接受结直肠癌手术的台湾地区男女患者。采用三时间点多层次研究框架，在术后1、3、6个月进行评估。通过分层线性模型分析胃肠道症状困扰与益处发现是否随时间与生活质量协同变化。 结果：研究显示，胃肠道症状困扰的增加与身心生活质量的下降均存在关联。益处发现与生活质量无直接关联，但能显著调节症状与生活质量之间的关系，在益处发现水平较高的患者中减弱症状困扰的负面影响。 结论：结直肠癌幸存者胃肠道症状困扰的加剧伴随着身心生活质量的下降。本研究补充了现有文献，表明当患者在术后及治疗后面临较高症状困扰时，益处发现对癌症适应具有积极作用。文中进一步探讨了其潜在机制的影响。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家