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Sex differences in health-related quality of life after renal cell carcinoma surgery : a population-based study in Sweden

Bonn, Stephanie E ; Westman, Bodil ; Schelin, Maria E C LU orcid ; Hedman, Christel LU ; Ljungberg, Börje and Rosenblad, Andreas Karlsson (2026) In Quality of Life Research 35(2).
Abstract

PURPOSE: To examine sex differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients surgically treated for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Sweden, utilizing data from the National Swedish Kidney Cancer Register (NSKCR).

METHODS: In this study of 4658 surgically treated RCC patients, data on HRQoL, clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics were retrieved from the NSKCR for patients undergoing surgical treatment between January 2016, and April 2024. HRQoL was measured using the 14- and 19-item versions of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Kidney Symptom Index (FKSI-14/19) instrument six months after surgery. The association between sex and HRQoL was estimated using linear regression. Separate... (More)

PURPOSE: To examine sex differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients surgically treated for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Sweden, utilizing data from the National Swedish Kidney Cancer Register (NSKCR).

METHODS: In this study of 4658 surgically treated RCC patients, data on HRQoL, clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics were retrieved from the NSKCR for patients undergoing surgical treatment between January 2016, and April 2024. HRQoL was measured using the 14- and 19-item versions of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Kidney Symptom Index (FKSI-14/19) instrument six months after surgery. The association between sex and HRQoL was estimated using linear regression. Separate analyses were performed for the FKSI-14 and FKSI-19 total scores and underlying domains.

RESULTS: In total, 3086 (66.3%) men and 1572 (33.7%) women were included. After adjusting for clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics, male sex was significantly associated with higher HRQoL. Specifically, men had higher scores, indicating fewer symptoms, for physical and mental symptoms according to FKSI-14 (P < 0.001), and for physical (P < 0.001) and emotional (P < 0.001) disease-related symptoms, as well as treatment side effects (P < 0.022), according to FKSI-19. Total HRQoL was significantly higher in men, according to both the FKSI-14 (P < 0.001) and the FKSI-19 (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: HRQoL differed significantly between men and women six months after surgery, with men reporting higher HRQoL, even after accounting for clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic factors. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the risk of lower HRQoL among female patients.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Humans, Quality of Life/psychology, Female, Male, Sweden, Middle Aged, Carcinoma, Renal Cell/surgery, Aged, Kidney Neoplasms/surgery, Sex Factors, Surveys and Questionnaires, Registries, Adult, Socioeconomic Factors
in
Quality of Life Research
volume
35
issue
2
article number
43
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:41533299
ISSN
1573-2649
DOI
10.1007/s11136-025-04157-w
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2025. The Author(s).
id
556b5722-1ee9-43b7-9a6d-9b82c9ffec9a
date added to LUP
2026-01-20 13:33:12
date last changed
2026-01-20 16:46:19
@article{556b5722-1ee9-43b7-9a6d-9b82c9ffec9a,
  abstract     = {{<p>PURPOSE: To examine sex differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients surgically treated for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Sweden, utilizing data from the National Swedish Kidney Cancer Register (NSKCR).</p><p>METHODS: In this study of 4658 surgically treated RCC patients, data on HRQoL, clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics were retrieved from the NSKCR for patients undergoing surgical treatment between January 2016, and April 2024. HRQoL was measured using the 14- and 19-item versions of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Kidney Symptom Index (FKSI-14/19) instrument six months after surgery. The association between sex and HRQoL was estimated using linear regression. Separate analyses were performed for the FKSI-14 and FKSI-19 total scores and underlying domains.</p><p>RESULTS: In total, 3086 (66.3%) men and 1572 (33.7%) women were included. After adjusting for clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics, male sex was significantly associated with higher HRQoL. Specifically, men had higher scores, indicating fewer symptoms, for physical and mental symptoms according to FKSI-14 (P &lt; 0.001), and for physical (P &lt; 0.001) and emotional (P &lt; 0.001) disease-related symptoms, as well as treatment side effects (P &lt; 0.022), according to FKSI-19. Total HRQoL was significantly higher in men, according to both the FKSI-14 (P &lt; 0.001) and the FKSI-19 (P &lt; 0.001).</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: HRQoL differed significantly between men and women six months after surgery, with men reporting higher HRQoL, even after accounting for clinical, demographic, and socioeconomic factors. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the risk of lower HRQoL among female patients.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bonn, Stephanie E and Westman, Bodil and Schelin, Maria E C and Hedman, Christel and Ljungberg, Börje and Rosenblad, Andreas Karlsson}},
  issn         = {{1573-2649}},
  keywords     = {{Humans; Quality of Life/psychology; Female; Male; Sweden; Middle Aged; Carcinoma, Renal Cell/surgery; Aged; Kidney Neoplasms/surgery; Sex Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Registries; Adult; Socioeconomic Factors}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{2}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Quality of Life Research}},
  title        = {{Sex differences in health-related quality of life after renal cell carcinoma surgery : a population-based study in Sweden}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11136-025-04157-w}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s11136-025-04157-w}},
  volume       = {{35}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}