Changes in quality of life after lung surgery in old and young patients: are they similar?
BACKGROUND
The aim of the study was to compare the changes in health-related quality of life (QOL) after lung surgery between young and old patients.


METHODS
We performed a prospective, population-based, cohort study to investigate health-related QOL before and 6 months after lung surgery. We used the validated instrument Short Form-36 (SF-36), to investigate QOL. The main outcome measures were fractional change in the SF-36 physical (DeltaPCS%) and mental (DeltaMCS%) component summary scores. We also compared the two age groups to age- and sex-matched reference populations.


RESULTS
We included 249 patients: 166 young (<70 years) and 83 old (> or =70 years) patients. The overall response rate at 6 months was 84%. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome measures between young and old patients (DeltaPCS% -13 vs. -16, p = 0.55; DeltaMCS% 9 vs. 1, p = 0.22). The 2-year survivals (mean follow-up 2.1 years) were 83% and 84% in young and old patients, respectively (p = 0.72). In both groups, physical and mental QOL were lower than in the reference populations.


CONCLUSIONS
We found that at 6 months after lung surgery old patients experienced deterioration in physical and mental health-related QOL similar to that of young patients. Survival also was similar in the two groups.
Möller
Axel
A
Karolinska Institutet, SE-171-77, Stockholm, Sweden.
Sartipy
Ulrik
U
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome