title: Assessment of patient-reported outcome measures in the surgical treatment of patients with gastric cancer.
abstract: Gastric cancer is responsible for 10 % of all cancer-related deaths worldwide. With improved operative techniques and neo-adjuvant therapy, survival rates are increasing. Outcomes of interest are shifting to quality of life (QOL), with many different tools available. The aim of this study was to assess which patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are used to measure QOL after a gastrectomy for cancer.
  
  
  
  A comprehensive search was conducted for original articles investigating QOL after gastrectomy. Two authors independently selected relevant articles, conducted clinical appraisal and extracted data (P.J. and J.S.).
  
  
  
  Out of 3414 articles, 26 studies were included, including a total of 4690 patients. These studies included ten different PROMs, which could be divided into generic, symptom-specific and disease-specific questionnaires. The EORTC and the FACT questionnaires use an oncological overall QOL module and an organ-specific module. Only one validation study regarding the use of the EORTC after surgery for gastric cancer was available, demonstrating good psychometric properties and clinical validity.
  
  
  
  A great variety of PROMs are being used in the measurement of QOL after surgery for gastric cancer. A questionnaire with a general module along with a disease-specific module for the assessment of QOL seems most desirable, such as the EORTC and the FACT with their specific modules. Both are developed in different treatment modalities, such as in surgical patients. EORTC is the most widely used questionnaire and therefore allows for comparison of new studies to existing data. Future studies are needed to assess content validity in surgical gastric cancer patients.
authors: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, ZH 7F020, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. je.straatman@vumc.nl.
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Straatman
authors: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, ZH 7F020, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: van der Wielen
authors: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, ZH 7F020, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Pieter J
authors: PJ
authors: Joosten
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Caroline B
authors: CB
authors: Terwee
authors: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, ZH 7F020, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Miguel A
authors: MA
authors: Cuesta
authors: Medical Library, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Elise P
authors: EP
authors: Jansma
authors: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, ZH 7F020, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Donald L
authors: DL
authors: van der Peet
mesh_terms: D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D000071066:Patient Reported Outcome Measures; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: Gastrectomy; Gastric cancer; PROMs; Quality of life