title: Determinants of quality of life in patients following pulmonary resection for lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of the present study was to prospectively measure quality of life (QOL) before and after pulmonary resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to determine which clinical perioperative variables predicted QOL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-seven patients undergoing a curative resection for early-stage NSCLC were administered the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung (FACT-L) questionnaire serially. This was used to calculate a Trial Outcome Index (TOI), a measure of QOL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Perioperative variables associated with worse postoperative TOI included the presence of preoperative dyspnea (coefficient -7.89, 95% confidence interval -12.4 to -3.31, P = .01) and exposure to adjuvant chemotherapy (-14.7, -20.0 to -9.46, P = .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preoperative dyspnea and postoperative chemotherapy are associated with worse postoperative QOL among patients with resected, early-stage NSCLC. As adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy protocols become more prevalent for these patients, QOL issues may assume greater importance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH 45428, USA. douglas.paull@wright.edu
authors.forename: Douglas E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Paull
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Glory E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Meade
authors.forename: Glenda M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Updyke
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Arocho
authors.forename: Hong W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Samuel A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Adebonojo
authors.forename: Alex G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Little
mesh_terms: D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015897:Comorbidity; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires