Effect of gender on psychosocial adjustment of colorectal cancer survivors with ostomy

The incidence of colorectal cancer is in increasing trend and considering the advancement in detection, treatment and surgical techniques it is likely that number of colorectal cancer survivors is going to increase in near future (1,2). In addition to the detrimental effect of cancer itself, most of the colorectal survivors have to deal with ostomy as a part of their treatment (3). Ostomy refers to a surgical procedure that results in an artificial opening in the abdominal wall (stoma) through which bodily waste are excreted (4). To the ostomate, however, it means substantive changes not only in bodily appearance and functional ability but also in overall personal hygiene (5)