LAUSR

Declines in quality of life and physical function are commonly associated with all cancers [1], and in this month’s issue of BJUI, Smith et al. [2] describe the changes in quality of life that occur specifically in patients with bladder cancer. The authors examine 535 individuals with bladder cancer (of whom 77 [14%] had invasive disease) and matched them to 2770 non-cancer controls using propensity scores. The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry was linked with the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey. This dataset represents linkages of population-based SEER data with survey data for Medicare-managed enrollees. In this study, patients were surveyed at different times with respect to their diagnosis and the authors identified all patients who were surveyed some time before and after their diagnosis. By harnessing this dataset, the authors describe changes that occur in mental and physical function. The authors should be commended for conducting an analysis that seeks to quantify the impact of a bladder cancer diagnosis on multiple dimensions affecting quality of life.