Effects of a psycho-educational programme on health-related quality of life in patients treated for colorectal and anal cancer: A feasibility trial

•A psychoeducational program can have effect on mental health and pain in persons treated for colorectal and anal cancer.•The patients in the PEP-group exhibit significant improvements in both Mental and Physical Component summary in all follow-up assessment.•Women reported significantly lower mental wellbeing than men.

PurposeColorectal cancer (CRC) may have a negative impact on a person's quality of life. Psycho-educational interventions for patients with CRC are rarely studied.The purpose of this feasibility trial was to evaluate the effect of a psycho-educational programme (PEP) on the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of patients treated for CRC and anal cancer.MethodsPatients with CRC and anal cancer were randomly assigned to a PEP (n = 47) or standard treatment (n = 39). The PEP included informative lectures, discussion, and reflection. HRQL was evaluated using the SF-36 at baseline and 1, 6, and 12 months after the end of the PEP.ResultsPatients in the PEP group had significantly better Mental Health scores after 1 month and significantly better Bodily Pain scores after 6 months compared with patients who received standard care.ConclusionThe results of this study indicate that a PEP can have a short-term effect on the mental health and bodily pain of patients treated for CRC and anal cancer when comparing with a control group. The article discusses the methodological difficulties of evaluating an intervention such as this PEP in a clinical setting.