Lack of Support and Information Regarding Long-Term Negative Effects in Survivors of Rectal Cancer

Abstract

Responses from 116 survivors of rectal cancer, 55 of whom provided open-ended responses, were obtained. Respondents were predominantly young and several years from treatment. They reported that their lives were affected "a lot" by bowel or ostomy trouble, trouble with sexual function, fatigue, and nerve toxicity. Survivors reported that knowing whether symptoms would affect their lives "a lot" would have changed their treatment decisions with a priori knowledge of these lasting effects. Key qualitative themes were the lack of information about and support for negative effects.