Quality of life of patients with cervical cancer after radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy

Radical courses of combined radiation and chemoradiation therapy cause the development of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) in patients with cervical cancer, that significantly affects their quality of life. In this connection there is a need to develop effective methods for managing perineovaginal atrophy. We drew our attention on health benefits of hyaluronic acid and on the results of the use of volume-forming gels based on the hyaluronic acid for treatment of complications in patients with gynecological cancer and induced menopause. That was the reason to study the usability of hyaluroinc acid based biomaterials for rehabilitation treatment of women underwent specialised treatment for cervical cancer. The study included 33 postmenopausal women with stage Ib2-III cervical cancer (average age was 52.0±9.0 years, average age of menopause onset was 43.9±1.2 years, average duration of menopause was 8.0±5.6 years). All patients underwent combined radiation (18.2%) or chemoradiation therapy (81.8%). After treatment no signs of the disease progression were found. All patients had vaginal atrophy of different severity (the average pH of the vaginal discharge was 6.5±0.7; the vaginal health index score was 6.9±2.8), this abnormality negatively affected the quality of sexual life (average score for the questionnaire PISQ-12 - 15.9±4.9; median - 16 (33.3%) out of 48 possible). For treatment of perineovaginal atrophic changes volume-forming fillers based on stabilized hyaluronic acid were injected using intravaginal (submucous) and perineal (subdermal) injection techniques. Re-examination carried out in 4 weeks after treatment demonstrated statistically significant pH value reduction (average value - 5.4±0.8), increased intravaginal health index score (average score - 16.5±2.5) (p function show_eabstract() { $('#eabstract1').hide(); $('#eabstract2').show(); $('#eabstract_expand').hide(); }