Pre- and Post-Surgical Health-Related Quality of Life Evaluation of Esophageal Carcinoma Patients

Abstract

For patients with esophageal carcinoma (ESCA), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has now become an essential feature. To examine the quality of life of preoperative and postoperative ESCA patients, we used the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ C-30) and the Quality of Life Questionnaire Oesophageal 18 (QLQ-OES18). Using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the QLQ-OES18 questionnaire, the analysis of the quality of life scores of 246 patients with oesophageal cancer who were operated on at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Centre during the period 2013 to 2015 was carried out. Differences between pre- and post-surgical EORTC QLQ C-30 and QLQ-OES18 scores were examined using the Student’s t-test. Patients’ global health status (QoL) decreased significantly one month after the operation but gradually recovered within a year. In terms of the role function, the emotional function, the cognitive function, and the perception and function variants, EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OES18 scores increased statistically significantly, as did clinical signs variables such as exhaustion, nausea, vomiting, pain, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, stomach pain, and economic hardship. After surgery, there was an improvement in functional and symptom domains in esophageal carcinoma patients. EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OES18 can be used to assess the HRQoL before and after surgical procedures.