Preoperative Lung Function Is Associated With Patient-Reported Outcomes After Lung Cancer Surgery

Background. Patient quality of life (QOL) is a critical outcomes measure in lung cancer surgery. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) provide valuable insight into the patient experience and allow measurement of pre-operative and postoperative QOL. Our objective was to determine which clinical factors predict differences in QOL, as measured by patient-reported physical function and pain intensity among patients undergoing minimally invasive lung cancer surgery. Methods. PRO surveys assessing physical function and pain intensity were conducted using instruments from the National Institutes of Health Patient-Reported Out-comes Measurement Information System. PRO surveys were administered to patients undergoing minimally invasive lung cancer resections at preoperative, 1-month, and 6-month postoperative time points, in an academic institution. Linear mixed-effects regression models were constructed to assess the association between clinical variables on PRO scores over time. Results. A total of 123 patients underwent a thoraco-scopic lung resection for cancer. Mean age of the cohort was 67 +/- 9.6 years, 43% were male, and 80% were White. When comparing clinical variables with PRO scores after surgery, lower diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) was associated with significantly worse physical function (P < .01) and greater pain intensity scores (P < .01) at 6 months, with no differences identi-fied at 1 month. No other studied clinical factor was associated with significant differences in PRO scores. Conclusions. Low preoperative DLCO was associated with significant decreases in PRO after minimally inva-sive lung cancer surgery. DLCO may be of utility in identifying patients who experience greater decline in QOL after surgery and for guiding surgical decision making. (C) 2021 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

Automated summary

This study aimed to determine which clinical factors predict differences in quality of life (QOL) among patients undergoing minimally invasive lung cancer surgery. The research found that lower diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) was associated with significant decreases in QOL after surgery, suggesting DLCO could help identify patients with greater decline in QOL post-surgery.