Introduction: The quality of life in cancer patients has received increasing interest recently. The results published to date have shown a potential benefit of proximal gastrectomy compared to total gastrectomy as regards long-term improvement in the quality of life. Up to 70% of gastrectomized patients suffer from various symptoms negatively influencing the postoperative quality of life. These symptoms are collectively referred to as postgastrectomy syndrome. Proximal gastrectomy may be more beneficial as opposed to total gastrectomy since it preserves a functional part of the stomach and allows alleviation of these symptoms. Numerous questionnaires are used to evaluate the quality of life in gastric cancer patients. The PGSAS-45 questionnaire of the Japanese Postgastrectomy Syndrome Working Party is probably the best validated one. Results of works published to date evaluating the quality of life after proximal gastrectomy are summarized in the text and an overview of basic evaluated parameters is presented.
Conclusion: The works published so far related to quality of life after proximal gastrectomy have described outcomes only in patients with early gastric cancers or in cT2N0 patients. Further studies with more patients involved, comparison between every single modification of proximal gastrectomy and also inclusion of advanced stages will be necessary to determine the optimal type of surgery. Nevertheless, the majority of studies published to date favor proximal gastrectomy against total gastrectomy in terms of better postoperative quality of life. Key words: gastric cancer - esophagogastric junction cancer - quality of life - proximal gastrectomy.