%0 Journal Article
%T Quality of Life in Endometrial Cancer Survivors: What Does Obesity Have to Do with It?
%A Amanda Nickles Fader
%A Heidi E. Frasure
%A Karen M. Gil
%A Nathan A. Berger
%A Vivian E. von Gruenigen
%J Obstetrics and Gynecology International
%D 2011
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2011/308609
%X Objective. Most women with type I endometrial cancer (EC) are obese, increasing the risk of morbidity and mortality in this population. The study objective was to evaluate the impact of obesity on quality of life (QOL) and general health status in EC survivors with early-stage disease. Methods. A prospective ancillary analysis of stage I/II EC survivors. The association of BMI with QOL questionnaire variables measured with the functional assessment of cancer therapy (subscales: physical (PWB), functional (FWB), social, and emotional well-being) and the physical (PCS) and mental component summary subscales of the short-form medical outcomes survey was determined. Results. 152 women completed both questionnaires; 81% were obese. After multiple linear regression, BMI was inversely associated with PWB ( ), FWB ( ), and PCS ( ). Conclusions. Despite the good prognosis associated with early-stage EC, QOL, and physical health are not optimized in obese survivors. This paper highlights the importance of incorporating health-related QOL assessments and obesity interventions during the survivorship period. 1. Introduction Outcomes research in the last decade has evolved beyond investigating conventional clinical endpoints to incorporating quality of life (QOL) endpoints, or direct assessments of how patients feel [1]. To that end, both the NCI and FDA have mandated that the goals of cancer therapies should be to improve both survival and QOL [1, 2]. As a result of earlier detection and improvement in therapies, many women with a cancer diagnosis are living longer, and therefore, there has been considerable interest in studying health-related QOL outcomes in cancer survivors after treatment. Women with endometrial cancer comprise a large segment of female cancer survivors. Endometrial cancer, the most common gynecologic malignancy in the USA, was diagnosed in over 42.000 women in 2010 [3]. One of the most significant risk factors for this cancer is obesity. Most women with endometrial cancer are overweight or obese and possess significant obesity-driven comorbidities that threaten their long-term health and QOL [4, 5]. It is well established that obese women without cancer have poorer health outcomes and QOL than their nonobese counterparts [6]. However, little is known about the effects of obesity on QOL and physical health of endometrial cancer survivors beyond the completion of therapy. Several epidemiologic studies have linked obesity with an increased rate of death from all causes, including cancer [4, 7¨C12]. A recent prospective cohort study examining the
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ogi/2011/308609/