Promoting quality of life through education in colon cancer patients with permanent stoma

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Colorectal cancer has a high prevalence worldwide, being the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and the second most common in women. The placement of stoma in people with colon cancer is a frequent management of the condition, however it has been shown that while it greatly affects the quality of life of the people, the educational interventions that could help them have not been examined.

Aim: The investigation of the effects on the quality of life of people with permanent stoma and the importance of education in the management of possible difficulties.

Material - Method: A bibliographic search of the last decade was carried out, using keywords in the databases: Pubmed, Scopus, Google Scholar.

Results: The search yielded 9 studies that met the inclusion criteria. From the studies it appears that the patients who were trained either by the nursing staff or by educational programs and psychotherapeutic interventions (individual or group) before and after the ostomy surgery, presented fewer post-operative complications and returned to society and their daily activities more quickly from uneducated patients.

Conclusions: The importance of education for patients with permanent stoma after colon cancer surgery can improve their postoperative course, increase their self-care ability, reduce their negative emotions, enhancing their quality of life.

Keywords:  education, colorectal cancer, stoma, quality of life