Health-related quality of life after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy.
OBJECTIVE
Transthoracic Ivor Lewis esophagectomy is a surgical standard therapy for esophageal carcinoma. The aim of this study was to assess health-related quality of life (HRQL) in mid- and long-term survivors.


METHODS
Patients with cancer-free survival of at least 12 months after esophageal resection for cancer were identified from a prospectively maintained database. EORTC questionnaires were sent out to assess health-related general (QLQ-C30) and esophageal cancer-specific (QLQ-OES18) quality of life (QOL). A numeric score was calculated in each conceptual area and compared with reference data.


RESULTS
One hundred forty-seven patients completed the self-rated questionnaires. They were 121 men and 26 women with a mean age of 63.4 (21-83) years; median FU was 39 (12-139) months. Global health status, functional scales, and symptom scores were significantly reduced compared with healthy reference populations. Also, there was no significant impact of tumor histology, neoadjuvant treatment, minimally invasive approach, or duration of follow-up on HRQL. However, more than half of the patients reported a HRQL similar to that of the healthy reference population.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the major psychosocial and physiological impacts of the disease, more than 50 % of mid- and long-term survivors of the Ivor Lewis procedure for esophageal cancer have a HRQL similar to that of the healthy reference population.
Department of General, Visceral, and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 62, Cologne, Germany. christian.gutschow@uk-koeln.de
Christian A
CA
Gutschow
Arnulf H
AH
Hölscher
Jessica
J
Leers
Hans
H
Fuchs
Marc
M
Bludau
Klaus L
KL
Prenzel
E
E
Bollschweiler
Wolfgang
W
Schröder
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome