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Longitudinal Analysis of Quality-of-Life Recovery After Gastrectomy for Cancer

  • Health Services Research and Global Oncology
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with quality-of-life recovery after gastrectomy.

Methods

Patients anticipated to undergo gastric cancer resection were invited to complete the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ C30 and STO22 surveys in the preoperative setting and at 0–1.5 months (early), > 1.5–6 months (intermediate), and > 6–18 months (late) following resection. Quality-of-life recovery was measured as paired differences between pre- and postoperative results. Multivariable linear regression identified factors associated with preoperative quality of life and degree of change following resection.

Results

Across 393 participants, response rates at the intermediate and late postoperative time points were 58% (n = 228) and 71% (n = 277), respectively. Relative to baseline, median global health scale decreased in the early (− 15.1 pts, p < 0.001) and intermediate (− 3.6 pts, p = 0.02) time points, but recovered by the late time point (+ 1.2 pts, p = 0.411). Relative to distal/subtotal gastrectomy, proximal/total gastrectomy was associated with worse recovery in both the early and late time points. Surgical complications were associated with worse early recovery. Patients who presented with locally advanced tumors (T3–T4) had lower preoperative quality-of-life scores, and more readily recovered to baseline after surgery. A minimally invasive approach was not associated with postoperative recovery.

Conclusions

Most patients recover to baseline within 1 year following major gastrectomy, and recovery is easier with more limited resections. Patients with locally advanced tumors tend to have poorer baseline quality of life, which may improve following resection.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of General and Oncologic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Yinin Hu MD

  2. Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Elvira L. Vos MD, Daniel G. Coit MD & Vivian E. Strong MD

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Raymond E. Baser MS

  4. Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Mark A. Schattner MD & Makoto Nishimura MD

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  1. Yinin Hu MD
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  2. Elvira L. Vos MD
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  5. Makoto Nishimura MD
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Correspondence to Vivian E. Strong MD.

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Disclosures

Makoto Nishimura is a consultant for Boston Scientific (Marlborough, MA, USA), Olympus USA (Center Valley, PA, USA), and Lumendi (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England). Yinin Hu, Elvira L. Vos, Raymond E. Baser, Mark A. Schattner, Daniel G. Coit, and Vivian E. Strong have no disclosures to declare.

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Hu, Y., Vos, E.L., Baser, R.E. et al. Longitudinal Analysis of Quality-of-Life Recovery After Gastrectomy for Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol 28, 48–56 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-020-09274-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-020-09274-z

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