Determinants of quality of life in patients following pulmonary resection for lung cancer.
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.
Paull
Douglas E
DE
Department of Surgery, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH 45428, USA. douglas.paull@wright.edu
Thomas
Michelle L
ML
Meade
Glory E
GE
Updyke
Glenda M
GM
Arocho
Michael A
MA
Chin
Hong W
HW
Adebonojo
Samuel A
SA
Little
Alex G
AG
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