Approximately 1 in 5 new cases of clinically localized bladder cancer is muscle invasive and requires the patient to choose from 1 of 2 prevailing options for treatment: radical cystectomy or radiation to the bladder. However, these treatments are associated with detrimental effects on patient well-being and quality of life, particularly with respect to functional independence, urinary and sexual function, social and emotional health, body image, and psychosocial stress. Compared with the literature on other malignancies like breast or prostate cancer, high-quality studies evaluating the effects of bladder cancer treatment on quality of life are lacking.
The Urologic clinics of North America. 2018 Feb 21 [Epub]
Mark D Tyson, Daniel A Barocas
Department of Urology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Mayo Clinic Hospital, 5777 East Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USA. Electronic address: ., Department of Urologic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, A1302 Medical Center North, Nashville, TN 37203, USA.