Quality-of-life following thoracotomy for lung cancer.
Contrary to the issues of perioperative morbidity and survival following surgery for lung cancer, little attention has been given to quality-of-life. To address this, quality-of-life was assessed preoperatively and 1, 3, 6 and 9 months postoperatively in a cohort of 117 consecutive subjects who underwent thoracotomy with a certain or presumptive diagnosis of lung cancer. Those with cancer (n = 91) confirmed at thoracotomy were contrasted to those without (n = 26). Moderate to severe dyspnea, reported in 14% preoperatively, increased to 34% at 1 and 3 months (p < 0.005) but returned to approximately 10% at 6 and 9 months. Similarly, activities of daily living were impaired in 11% preoperatively; this disability increased to 21% at 1 month (p < 0.005), and returned to baseline at 6 and 9 months. Those with cancer compared to those without a postoperative diagnosis of cancer had similar quality-of-life preoperatively but deteriorated more in the postoperative period. This study demonstrates that important deterioration in quality-of-life occurs during the first 3 months postoperatively in those with a final diagnosis of cancer but improvement back to baseline can be expected thereafter.
Dales
R E
RE
University of Ottawa, Department of Medicine, Ottowa General Hospital, Ontario, Canada.
Bélanger
R
R
Shamji
F M
FM
Leech
J
J
Crépeau
A
A
Sachs
H J
HJ
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D013908:Thoracotomy; D013997:Time Factors