A patient education and rehabilitation program was shown to relieve anxiety and depression and improve quality of life (QoL) among patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy (Medicine [Baltimore]. 2019;98[44]:e17437).

These findings come from a study by Zhonghui Li, MB, Department of Urology Surgery, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, and colleagues.

A total of 130 patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer about to be given adjuvant chemotherapy with 4 cycles of gemcitabine and cisplatin were enrolled in the study and randomized in a 1:1 ratio to an arm taking part in a patient education and rehabilitation program or a control arm.

Mr Li et al assessed Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) anxiety and depression scores and QoL Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) scores at baseline and posttreatment (at week 16).

Ultimately, the patients who took part in the patient education and rehabilitation program had decreased HADS anxiety scores (P = .036), ΔHADS anxiety score (P < .001), and a proportion of patients with anxiety (P = .019) compared with those in the control arm.

Patients who took part in the program also had numerically reduced HADS depression scores compared with patients in the control arm, although these numbers were not found to be statistically significant (P = .076).

With regard to QoL, scores pertaining to QLQ-C30 global health status (P = .032), Δglobal health status (P = .003) and Δfunctional (P = .005) were higher among patients who took part in the program versus those in the control arm.

Of note, there were no differences observed vis-à-vis QLQ-C30 functional (P = .103), QLQ-C30 symptom (P = .808) or Δsymptom (P = .680) scores between the 2 arms.

“In conclusion, PERP relieves the anxiety, depression and improves quality of life of MIBC [muscle invasive bladder cancer] patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, which implies that education and rehabilitation programs are beneficial in post-operative management of MIBC regarding mental as well as general well-being,” concluded Mr Li and colleagues.—Hina Porcelli