Journal
EJSO
Volume 36, Issue 2, Pages 148-154Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejso.2009.09.008
Keywords
Gastrectomy; Quality of life; Decision-making; Informed consent
Funding
- Medical Research Council
- Cancer Research UK
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Back-ground: This prospective study examined health-related quality of life (HRQL) and survival in patients with potentially curable gastric cancer. Methods: Consecutive patients (n = 58) selected for curative surgery completed a validated questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and site-specific module (QLQ-STO22) before surgery and regularly for 2 years afterwards. Chances of 10 or more points on a 0-100 scale were considered clinically significant. Results: Some 30 patients were alive after 2 years (52%). In the first 3 months after surgery, HRQL was significantly reduced across all dimensions except emotional and cognitive functioning (mean reduction of 10 or more points). Functional aspects of HRQL recovered by 6 months in patients who subsequently were alive at 2 years, although at least a third of patients experienced specific symptoms, even 6 months after surgery, especially diarrhoea. For those dying within 2 years, some postoperative functional HRQL recovery occurred, but many symptoms were common. Conclusions: Potentially curative gastrectomy for cancer has a detrimental impact on HRQL that mostly recovers in patients surviving some 2 years. Patients who die within 2 years may experience limited postoperative recovery. It is recommended that patients receive HRQL information about the outcomes of surgery for gastric cancer. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available