Impact of surgical procedure for gastric cancer on quality of life

Abstract

Abstract Background The aim was to assess quality of life in a group of patients who had a curative resection for gastric cancer. Methods The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 questionnaire with a gastric cancer-specific module was used in patients who had undergone R0 gastrectomy between 1992 and 1999, and who had no disease at the last check-up. A response was obtained from 54 patients, 36 men and 18 women, of mean age 67 years. Of these, 24 patients had total gastrectomy and 26 D2 lymphadenectomy. Results Significant differences were found only in the social domain of quality of life in patients aged over 70 years (P = 0·036); there was no impact of operation type on overall quality of life. Conclusion The quality of life of patients undergoing curative surgery for gastric cancer, regardless of age, was not significantly influenced by the type of gastrectomy, or whether lymphadenectomy was performed.