title: Quality of life of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma after curative gastrectomy.
abstract: Quality of life (QOL) was evaluated in 162 patients having radical gastrectomy for cancer. The results showed that more than half of the patients had a good appetite; they consumed a normal diet and a normal volume of food. Approximately 60% of the patients had weight loss of more than 5 kg. Patients who underwent a total gastrectomy had poor tolerance of normal food and frequent eating and body weight loss versus those who had a subtotal gastrectomy. Patients who underwent Billroth II reconstruction after a distal subtotal gastrectomy lost more body weight than those with a Billroth I anastomosis. The extent of lymphadenectomy did not influence the QOL. Patients under 65 years of age had a better QOL. Nearly all patients had normal work and daily living activities. Some patients appeared to lack energy or had a period of anxiety or depression. These data indicate that radical gastrectomy can be performed with an acceptable QOL for a potentially curable gastric carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Shih-Pai, Taipei, Taiwan 11217, Republic of China.
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: P'eng
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012737:Sex Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery