Quality of life and psycho-emotional wellbeing in bladder cancer patients and their caregivers: a comparative analysis between urostomy versus ileal orthotopic neobladder

Background: The impact of neobladder and urostomy on bladder cancer patient's healthrelated quality of life (HR-QoL) is controversial and many issues currently remain underinvestigated. Initial studies pointed out that the emotional responses of caregivers might be 'contagious', influencing emotional reactions in bladder cancer patients undergoing radical cystectomy. Methods: Three hundred and eighty-two bladder cancer patients (aged M = 67.29 years; SD = 9.23) (16.9% (65) were female and 82.9% (319) were male) and their caregivers were enrolled. Data were collected prospectively: At T0 (1 month before the surgery), at T1 (2 weeks after the surgery, at patient discharge from the hospital) and at T2 (6-month follow-up). At each time point (T0, T1 and T2), a set of questionnaires (EORT QLQ-C30 and emotion thermometer) were given to patients and their caregivers. Results: All patients reported a general improvement in the HR-QoL and global health status/ QoL from T0 to T2 (p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed between neobladder and urostomy. At T0, the emotional thermometer total scoring in caregivers was positive in relation to HR-QoL (p < 0.001) and negative in relation to the patient's perception of QoL (p < 0.001) and global health (p < 0.001). Similar trends were observed at T1 and T2. Conclusions: These results suggest that patients and their caregiver's emotional reactions to cancer are deep-rooted and strongly interconnected, and they provide innovative insights for the clinical management of bladder cancer patients.ecancer (UK Charity number 1176307).