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CompletedNCT04128657MA_LARSWEXUpdated Feb 20, 2020

Validation of the Moroccan Arabic Version of the Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) and Wexner Score of Continence Among Rectal Cancer Patients

An observational study in Rectal Cancer Patients, sponsored by Moroccan Society of Surgery. Completed at 2 sites in Morocco. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-02-20.

Sponsored by Moroccan Society of Surgery · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
143
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

In the past decade, colorectal cancer management improved considerably with total mesorectal excision as well as the multidisciplinary management relying on neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy. This forward leap is currently responsible for an increase in the survivorship of colorectal cancer patients to more than 50% at 5 years. Additively the surgical approach is now more inclined towards sphincter preserving procedures, which allows the conservation of body image but can have negative bowel function repercussions consisting of urgency and incontinence ; all these terms encompassed in the low anterior resection syndrome.

In the light of these findings many studies developed assessment tools in order to objectively measure this functional alteration among which are the low anterior resection syndrome questionnaire (LARS) and the WEXNER score. These tools designed to assess bowel function after sphincter-preserving surgery are now translated and validated into various languages and used in different countries.

The LARS score relies on the frequency of the symptoms and allows the categorization of patients into 3 groups: no LARS (0-20 points), minor LARS (21-29 points), and major LARS (30-42 points). It assesses the frequency of emptying, incontinence ( liquid, gas ), and other symptoms such as urgency and incomplete voiding. On the other hand, the WEXNER score relies on the examination of the frequency of three types of fecal incontinence (solid, liquid, and gas) and their consequences (pad wearing and lifestyle alteration) with frequency options ranging from never (score 0) through to always (meaning at least once per day; score 4). The score ranges from 0 (perfect continence) to 20 (complete incontinence).

The aim of our study is to adapt and validate the LARS and WEXNER score to the moroccan arabic dialect.

Read the detailed description

The translation of the LARS and WEXNER score to the moroccan dialect ( arabic ) has been done in another study using translation and back translation in concordance with the international guidelines. The questionnaire is administered to a total of 102 patients either directly or via telephone. Reproducibility will be tested through test and retest as one sub-group will be administered the questionnaire twice with an interval of 1 to 2 weeks. Patients will also be administered the questionnaires of the European Organization for Research and treatment of Cancer (EORTC) : QLQ-C30.

The validity of the LARS and WEXNER score will be tested by using the indicators of discriminant validity and convergent validity which will be determined in this study by computing the correlations between the LARS and WEXNER scores to the EORTC QLQ-C30.

For discriminant validity testing, variables used will be factors known to affect bowel function after colorectal surgery such as gender, age, neoadjuvant therapy, distance of the tumor from the anal verge, prior temporary stoma, length of postoperative period, the need for a reintervention and the occurrence of complications.

We recruited for our study patients treated in the National Oncology Institute of Rabat and in the Al azhar oncology center in the surgical department of Pr. Souadka Abdelilah with a minimum post operative interval of 6 months.

The validation of a moroccan dialectical version of the LARS score and WEXNER score will allow a better understanding of the bowel function post surgery and thereby the identification of patients with the highest scores which will allow a better understanding and possible inclusion of these tools in patient outcome assessment.

02

Conditions studied

  • Rectal Cancer Patients

Keywords

  • Quality of life
  • Sphincter sparing surgery
  • Wexner score
  • LARS score
03

In context

Rectal Neoplasms

1,762 studies on the registry are indexed under Rectal Neoplasms; 518 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 143 is below the median of 160 across 413 observational studies indexed under Rectal Neoplasms.

Browse Rectal Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

Moroccan Society of Surgery is the lead sponsor of 12 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Volantary patient with curative sphincter preserving surgery with no defuntioning stoma who accept to participate in the MA_LARS and MA_Wexner scores validation study

Inclusion criteria

  • Patients aged older than 18 years.
  • Neoplasm of the rectum.
  • Rectal cancer patients undergoing curative sphincter-preserving surgery with (partial or total) mesorectal excision.
  • Surgery performed between January 2012 to March 2019, with reversal of the defunctioning stoma before March 2019;
  • Bowel continuity restoration for at least 6 months.
  • Consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Palliative surgery.
  • The presence of a definitive iliac or perineal stoma.
  • Diseases of bowel dysfunction (Crohn's disease)
  • Cognitive and/or language issues.
05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
143 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Interventions

  • Diagnostic testMA_LARS

    Validation of the MA_LARS and MA_Wexner

    Also known as: MA_Wexner

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Validation of the moroccan arabic version of the LARS score

    Validation of the Moroccan arabic Low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) score ; 0 to 20 (no LARS), 21 to 29 (minor LARS ) and 30 to 42 (Major LARS )

    Time frame: 6 months after surgery

  2. Validation of the moroccan arabic version of the Wexner score

    validation of the Moroccan arabic Wexner score; 0 perfect score and 20 complete incontinence

    Time frame: 6 months after surgery

07

Study locations

2 sites
  • National Institut of Oncology, Surgical oncology department
    Rabat, Please Enter The State Or Province 10100, Morocco
  • Private surgical oncology center
    Salé, Morocco
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 20, 2020, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04128657
Lead sponsor
Moroccan Society of Surgery
Collaborators
Institut National d'Oncologie Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah
Responsible party
Amine Souadka (professor, Moroccan Society of Surgery) — Principal investigator
First posted
Oct 16, 2019
Start date
Jan 1, 2019
Primary completion
Oct 31, 2019
Completion
Oct 31, 2019
Last update
Feb 20, 2020

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2020. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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