P1.05-071 A Review of Quality of Life Measures Used in Lung Cancer Surgical Outcomes

Abstract

With the increased life expectancy following surgery for early stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), concern about the quality of life (QoL) of patients after surgery has gained attention. Previous QoL studies were limited by small sample size, inclusion of late-stage cancers and non-surgical treatments. This review summarized the existing literature on QoL in early stage lung cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment. PubMed and PsycINFO were searched for articles published between 1995 (year of the last published meta-analysis) and March 21, 2016. All English articles reported on quality of life for Stage I NSCLC were included. Data extraction was performed by two independent reviewers using pre-specified criteria. Ten articles from nine studies were identified. Of the nine studies, four reported on the SF-36, one on the SF-12, one on the EORTC QLQ-C30, one on POMS-TMD, one on EQ-5D, and one on SGRQ. One study reported only on pre-surgical QoL, six only on post-surgical QoL and two studies reported on both pre- and post- surgical QoL. Timing for the administration of post-surgical QoL survey varied, from time at discharge to up to six years post-surgery. Two studies included only NSCLC patients with COPD. Due to the heterogeneity of these studies, comparison between studies and traditional meta-analysis were not possible. The literature on QoL in Stage I NSCLC patients is very sparse. As CT screening for lung cancer becomes more widespread with a consequent shift from late to early stage NSCLC, additional research is needed to explore the impact of different NSCLC surgical approaches on QoL.