Bladder Dysfunction in Gynecological Cancers: Insights from Urological and Gynecological Oncology

Background: Bladder function is greatly impacted by gynecological cancers, despite it occurring in most of the affected patients. The purpose of this study is to establish the prevalence and pattern of bladder dysfunction among gynecological cancer patients and factors affecting their quality of life. Objective: To ascertain the prevalence of bladder dysfunction in patients with gynecological cancer and ascertain quality of life-related risk factors after treatment. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 104 gynecological cancer patients. Demographic information, rates of prevalence of bladder dysfunction, categories of dysfunction, treatment options, and short-term results were gathered. Health-related quality of life was measured using the SF-36 questionnaire. Results: Bladder dysfunction was present in 60.6% of participants and was predominantly a mix of urge incontinence (39.2%) and mixed incontinence (28.8%). Bladder dysfunction was highly associated with rising age, higher BMI, smoking, cancer type, and stage. Bladder dysfunction was reflected in moderate physical and psychological functioning with mean quality of life scores, and bladder dysfunction was significantly associated with cancer type (r=0.45, p<0.01). Conclusion: Bladder dysfunction prevalence rates are high among patients with gynecological cancer, strongly affecting the quality of life of these patients. Their detection and psychological impact can contribute to the establishment of overall care planning