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Rectal CancerTreatableNCT06914245

Personalized Care Pathways for Bowel Symptoms in Rectal Cancer Patients_contributing Factors (Treatable)

A study testing Electronic bowel diary, Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life questionnaire (FIQL) and EuroQoL 5 dimensions, 5 levels (EQ-5D-5L) in people with Rectal Cancer and LARS - Low Anterior Resection Syndrome, run by KU Leuven at 1 site in Belgium.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Colorectal cancer is the 2nd and 3rd most common cancer in respectively women and men, of which about 40% is located in the rectum. The gold standard treatment for rectal cancer (RC) is a low anterior resection combined with chemoradiotherapy. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Electronic bowel diary, Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life questionnaire (FIQL) and EuroQoL 5 dimensions, 5 levels (EQ-5D-5L)
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
150 participants
Where
1 siteBelgium
Study dates
28 Apr 2025to Dec 2028
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Voluntary written informed consent of the participant or their legally authorized representative has been obtained prior to any screening procedures.
  • At least 18 years of age at the time of signing the Informed Consent Form (ICF).
  • Proficient in reading, comprehending, and conversing in Dutch.
  • Patients scheduled for Total Mesorectal Excision (TME) or Partial Mesorectal Excision (PME) or 'Watch and wait' protocol due to rectal cancer.

Who cannot join

  • The participant has undergone a different type of surgery, including a Hartmann procedure, abdominoperineal excision, transanal endoscopic microsurgery, or sigmoid resection.
  • Experienced fecal incontinence prior to undergoing surgery.
  • Are affected by neurological disorders affecting bowel function.
  • Already underwent previous pelvic radiation or rectal surgery for non-cancer reasons.
  • Has a permanent stoma.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Inge Geraerts, PhD contact

+3216329120

inge.geraerts@kuleuven.be

Liesbet Lauwereins, Msc. contact

+3216379147

liesbet.lauwereins@kuleuven.be

Belgium1 site, 1 recruiting
  • UZ Leuven

    Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, 3000

    Liesbet Lauwereins, Msc., +3216379147, liesbet.lauwereins@kuleuven.be

    Recruiting

Other trials in Belgium

About this study

Official title: Towards Personalized Care Pathways for Bowel Symptoms in Rectal Cancer Patients Through Precision Medicine

Colorectal cancer is the 2nd and 3rd most common cancer in respectively women and men, of which about 40% is located in the rectum. The gold standard treatment for rectal cancer (RC) is a low anterior resection combined with chemoradiotherapy. However, this treatment negatively affects various aspects of bowel function and patients' quality of life. These bowel symptoms often remain prevalent, even 12 months after RC treatment.

The aim of this study is to identify the factors contributing to persistent bowel symptoms and their long-term impact on quality of life following treatment for rectal cancer, assessed 12 months after surgery or stoma closure in surgically treated patients, and 12 months after completion of neoadjuvant therapy in patients managed with active surveillance/watch-and-wait. These insights are crucial for developing an effective care approach, as they help determine when specific evaluations should be conducted and which treatments should be applied at different stages.

Being tested
Electronic bowel diary, Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life questionnaire (FIQL), EuroQoL 5 dimensions, 5 levels (EQ-5D-5L)
Keywords
Bowel diary, Quality of Life (QoL), Care pathway
Medical subject headings
Rectal Neoplasms, Low Anterior Resection Syndrome

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Electronic bowel diaryDiagnostic test

    This bowel diary will be available on the smartphone in the form of an application.

  • Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life questionnaire (FIQL)Diagnostic test

    This questionnaire will be available online.

  • EuroQoL 5 dimensions, 5 levels (EQ-5D-5L)Diagnostic test

    This questionnaire will be available online.

Study groups in NCT06914245
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
TME/PMEExperimentalTo investigate the prognostic variables of persistent bowel symptoms and persistent consequences of bowel symptoms, specifically the impact on QoL, participants scheduled for rectal surgery will be asked to complete an electronic bowel diary on their mobile phones and to fill out several online questionnaires at multiple time points (prior to surgery, and at 1, 6, and 12 months post-rectal surgery or post-stoma closure).
Receives: Diagnostic Test: Electronic bowel diary; Diagnostic Test: Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life questionnaire (FIQL); Diagnostic Test: EuroQoL 5 dimensions, 5 levels (EQ-5D-5L)
Active surveillanceExperimentalTo investigate the prognostic variables of persistent bowel symptoms and persistent consequences of bowel symptoms, specifically the impact on QoL, participants in active surveillance will be asked to complete an electronic bowel diary on their mobile phones and to fill out several online questionnaires at multiple time points (at baseline and at 1, 6, and 12 months after completion of neoadjuvant therapy).
Receives: Diagnostic Test: Electronic bowel diary; Diagnostic Test: Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life questionnaire (FIQL); Diagnostic Test: EuroQoL 5 dimensions, 5 levels (EQ-5D-5L)

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Bowel symptoms after rectal cancer treatment

    To ensure that patients can report all their bowel symptoms where they suffer from, a valid, reliable, user-friendly, and easy-to-interpret electronic bowel diary has been developed in another research project for which approval has already been obtained from the Ethical Committee of the University Hospitals Leuven (S68746). This electronic bowel diary will be used to map out all bowel complaints.

    Measured: 12 months

  2. The evaluation of Quality of Life (QoL) related to bowel symptoms after rectal cancer treatment

    Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life questionnaire (FIQL) will be used for the evaluation of QoL related to faecal incontinence problems. The FIQL is a reliable and valid 41-item questionnaire, resulting in 4 subscales: Lifestyle, Coping/behavior, Depression/Self Perception and Embarrassment. The Scales ranges from 1 to 5, with a 1 indicating a lower functional status of quality of life. This questionnaire is also validated in Dutch.

    Measured: 12 months

  3. The evaluation of overall Quality of Life (QoL) after rectal cancer treatment

    EuroQol 5 Dimensions, 5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L) will be used to assess overall quality of life (QoL). The EQ-5D-5L is a reliable and valid 6-item questionnaire, consisting of two parts: the social perspective and the individual perspective of one's own health.

    In the social perspective, the health state is converted into a value set with a score ranging from 0 to 1, where 0 represents being dead and 1 represents full health. The individual perspective assesses the respondent's own perception of their health, with a score ranging from 0 to 100.

    This questionnaire is validated in Dutch and widely used to measure general health-related quality of life.

    Measured: 12 months

Secondary outcomes (13)
  1. The predictive value of 'defecation functions' measured with the MSKCC-BFI for the development of persistent bowel symptoms and consequences of bowel symptoms at 12 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

    Defecation functions will be assessed with the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre Bowel Function Instrument (MSKCC-BFI). The MSKCC-BFI is a broad bowel specific questionnaire (18 items), resulting in three subscales, four single items and one total score for bowel function.

    Measured: 12 months

  2. The predictive value of 'defecation functions' measured with the LARS score for the development of persistent bowel symptoms and consequences of bowel symptoms at 12 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

    Defecation functions will be assessed with the LARS score. The LARS score is a short questionnaire, consisting of 5 items, stratifying patients into no, minor or major LARS. This questionnaire has been validated in Dutch.

    Measured: 12 months

  3. The predictive value of 'defecation functions' measured with the PAC-SYM for the development of persistent bowel symptoms and consequences of bowel symptoms at 12 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

    Defecation functions will be assessed with the Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms questionnaire (PAC-SYM). The PAC-SYM is a validated constipation-specific questionnaire of 12 items that reflect stool, rectal and abdominal symptoms. Patients report the severity of each symptom on a Likert scale from 0 (absent) to 4 (very severe). This questionnaire has been validated in Dutch.

    Measured: 12 months

  4. The predictive value of 'baseline age' for the development of persistent bowel symptoms and consequences of bowel symptoms at 12 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

    Information concerning the patient age will be derived from the medical file.

    Measured: pre-operatively, prior to the surgical intervention for rectal cancer

  5. The predictive value of 'gender' for the development of persistent bowel symptoms and consequences of bowel symptoms at 12 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

    Information concerning the gender of the patient will be derived from the medical file.

    Measured: pre-operatively, prior to the surgical intervention for rectal cancer

  6. The predictive value of 'diabetes' for the development of persistent bowel symptoms and consequences of bowel symptoms at 12 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

    Information concerning diabetes will be derived from the medical file.

    Measured: pre-operatively, prior to the surgical intervention for rectal cancer

  7. The predictive value of 'smoking history' for the development of persistent bowel symptoms and consequences of bowel symptoms at 12 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

    Information concerning smoking history (current, former, never) will be queried.

    Measured: pre-operatively, prior to the surgical intervention for rectal cancer

  8. The predictive value of 'BMI' for the development of persistent bowel symptoms and consequences of bowel symptoms at 12 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

    Information regarding the patient's BMI will be collected pre-operatively.

    Measured: pre-operatively, prior to the surgical intervention for rectal cancer

  9. The predictive value of 'depression' for the development of persistent bowel symptoms and consequences of bowel symptoms at 12 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

    Depression will be measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), a 9-item validated Dutch questionnaire with scores ranging from 0 to 27.

    Higher scores indicate more severe depression, classifying patients into mild, moderate, moderately severe, or severe depression.

    Measured: 12 months

  10. The predictive value of 'anxiety' for the development of persistent bowel symptoms and consequences of bowel symptoms at 12 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

    Anxiety will be assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), a 7-item validated Dutch questionnaire with a score range of 0 to 21. Higher scores reflect greater anxiety severity, categorizing patients into mild, moderate, or severe anxiety.

    Measured: 12 months

  11. The predictive value of 'resilience' for the development of persistent bowel symptoms and consequences of bowel symptoms at 12 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

    Resilience will be measured using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), a 10-item questionnaire with scores ranging from 0 to 40, where higher scores indicate greater resilience. The scale was translated into Dutch using the forward-backward translation technique to ensure accuracy.

    Measured: 12 months

  12. The predictive value of 'Optimal physiotherapy care' for the development of persistent bowel symptoms and consequences of bowel symptoms at 12 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

    The assessment of optimal physiotherapy care for bowel symptoms during and after RC treatment will be defined based on available scientific evidence, guidelines and clinical expertise of the promotors of this project. Through a self-developed questionnaire, patients will be questioned which care they received in order to estimate by the research team whether they received no/suboptimal/optimal PT care.

    Measured: at 6 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

  13. The predictive value of 'Treatment-related factors' for the development of persistent bowel symptoms and consequences of bowel symptoms at 12 months post-surgery or post-stoma closure

    TNM-stage, tumor height, neoadjuvant therapy, stoma prior to surgery, date rectal cancer surgery, approach rectal resection, surgery technique, reconstruction technique, type of anastomosis, Rullier classification, inferior mesenteric artery ligation, inferior mesenteric vein ligation, type of stoma, date stoma closure, adjuvant therapy, post-operative complication, anastomotic leakage classification, Clavien-Dindo classification will be derived from the medical file.

    Measured: At 1 month post-surgery or post-stoma closure

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted6 Apr 2025
  2. Study start28 Apr 2025
  3. Primary completionDec 2028 (estimated)
  4. Study completionDec 2028 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
150 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06914245
Sponsor's protocol ID
S69283
Acronym
Treatable
Status last verified
Jan 2026
First submitted
31 Mar 2025
Last updated
23 Jan 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Electronic bowel diary, Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life questionnaire (FIQL) and EuroQoL 5 dimensions, 5 levels (EQ-5D-5L) in people with Rectal Cancer and LARS - Low Anterior Resection Syndrome, run by KU Leuven at 1 site in Belgium.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Belgium. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Inge Geraerts, PhD (+3216329120, inge.geraerts@kuleuven.be), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Bowel symptoms after rectal cancer treatment (time frame: 12 months). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Jan 2026.

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