Prospective analysis of patient-reported late toxicity following pelvic radiotherapy for gynaecological cancer

Background and purposeAs late radiotherapy toxicity impacts negatively on the quality-of-life of cancer survivors and is often under reported, a study was set up to prospectively collect patient-reported data in an unselected series of patients with gynaecological malignancy. Aim 1 – To provide 3 year results for the longitudinal study. Aim 2 – To improve the questionnaire used to collect data by identifying redundant items and modifying for use to collect Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) data.Material and methodsAim 1 – Patient reported outcome data were collected prospectively by 226 patients before and up to 3 years following radiotherapy for gynaecological cancer using a questionnaire developed to collect LENT subjective data. Aim 2 – A factor analysis was performed to identify which questions gave the most and least information.ResultsAim 1 – Faecal urgency and incontinence (all grades) peaked at 79% and 24%, respectively at 1 year then settled to 69% and 18% at 3 years, respectively. Urinary urgency (all grades) increased with time and was described in 75% at 3 years. Other symptoms reported at 3 years include diarrhoea in 12%, urinary incontinence in 27% and vaginal dryness in 29%. A third of patients did not feel their sex life had changed following treatment, while a quarter felt that it had. Aim 2 – some questions overlapped and others were non-specific. The questionnaire has subsequently been altered.ConclusionsThe extent of late toxicity is substantial. This detailed information is important for both patients and clinicians in terms of treatment decisions and follow-up care. The LENT questionnaire provides a feasible tool for capture of this information in the clinic.