Background: 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. Changes 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.
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