Urinary dysfunction after colorectal cancer treatment and its impact on quality of life - a national cross-sectional study in women

Aim The aim of this study was to investigate urinary dysfunction and its impact on the quality of life of colorectal cancer survivors. We also wanted to identify the risk factors for impaired urinary function. Method A national cross-sectional study was performed including patients treated for colorectal cancer between 2001 and 2014. Patients answered questionnaires regarding urinary function and quality of life, including the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (ICIQ-FLUTS), measuring filling, voiding and incontinence. Data were compared with data on demographics and treatment-related factors from the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group (DCCG) database. Results We found that rectal cancer treatment significantly impaired urinary function compared with colon cancer treatment (filling score p = 0.003, voiding p < 0.0001, incontinence p = 0.0001). Radiotherapy was the single most influential risk factor for high filling (p = 0.0043), voiding (p < 0.0001) and incontinence (p < 0.0001) scores, whereas type of rectal resection was only significant in crude analysis. Urinary dysfunction was strongly associated with an impaired quality of life. Conclusion Urinary dysfunction is common after treatment for colorectal cancer, particularly if the treatment includes radiotherapy. All patients must be informed of the risk before cancer treatment, and functional outcome should be routinely assessed at follow-up.