title: Long-term quality of life after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer: results of a prospective multi-institutional comparative trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to compare the postoperative health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between open and laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multi-institutional nonrandomized study was conducted. Patients with clinical T1 gastric cancer were prospectively enrolled and underwent distal gastrectomy by either the open or laparoscopic approach. HRQOL was measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 and the site-specific module for gastric cancer. Questionnaires were completed at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Clinicopathological characteristics and short-term outcome including postoperative morbidity and HRQOL were compared between the approaches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 145 patients (open, n = 72; laparoscopic, n = 73) were enrolled between September 2008 and January 2011 and analyzed. The laparoscopic approach was associated with longer operating time, less blood loss, and a similar incidence of postoperative complications. At each time point, the questionnaires were retrieved from more than 90 % of the patients. The worst scores for most of the scales were observed at 1 month postoperatively and improved thereafter. No statistically significant differences were observed regarding physical functioning, the primary endpoint. On the other hand, role, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning scores were superior in the laparoscopic group at 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Symptom scales including fatigue, pain, eating restriction, taste problems, and anxiety were better in the laparoscopic group before 6 months but not at 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study was considered to be negative because no benefit of the laparoscopic approach was observed in terms of physical functioning. However, more favorable scores for some of the symptom scales during the first 6 months and several functioning scales at 12 months after surgery suggest a potential benefit of the laparoscopic approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, 1-1 Kanokoden, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8681, Japan, misawakzn@aichi-cc.jp.
authors.forename: Kazunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Misawa
authors.forename: Michitaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Yoshinari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishigure
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morioka
authors.forename: Tsunenobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takase
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamura
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kodera
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy; D005763:Gastroenterostomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*