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Copyright ©The Author(s) 2016. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 21, 2016; 22(3): 1101-1113
Published online Jan 21, 2016. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i3.1101
Quality of life: A critical outcome for all surgical treatments of gastric cancer
Michael D McCall, Peter J Graham, Oliver F Bathe
Michael D McCall, Peter J Graham, Oliver F Bathe, Department of Surgery and the Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Calgary, Alberta T2N 2T9, Canada
Author contributions: McCall MD and Bathe OF conceived the paper; McCall MD, Graham PJ and Bathe OF contributed to writing and review of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Michael D McCall, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery and the Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Calgary, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, 1331 29th street NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 2T9, Canada. michael.mccall@albertahealthservices.ca
Received: June 10, 2015
Peer-review started: June 14, 2015
First decision: July 14, 2015
Revised: August 16, 2015
Accepted: November 9, 2015
Article in press: November 9, 2015
Published online: January 21, 2016
Abstract

Surgery represents the main curative therapeutic modality for gastric cancer, and it is occasionally considered for palliation as well as prophylaxis. Most frequently, surgical outcomes are conveyed in terms of oncological outcomes such as recurrence and survival. However, quality of life (QoL) is also important and should be considered when making treatment decisions - including the extent of and approach to surgery. Measurement of QoL usually involves the application of questionnaires. While there are multiple QoL questionnaires validated for use in oncology patients, there are very few that have been validated for use in those with gastric cancer. In this review, we discuss and compare the current status of QoL questionnaires in gastric cancer. More importantly, the impact of surgery for treatment, palliation and prophylaxis of gastric cancer on QoL will be described. These data should inform the surgeon on the optimal approach to treating gastric cancer, taking into account oncological outcomes. Knowledge gaps are also identified, providing a roadmap for future studies.

Keywords: Quality of life, Gastric cancer, Palliation, Surgery, Oncology

Core tip: Quality of life is an important determinant in the optimal management of patients with malignancy. This is no different for gastric cancer where surgery is considered in cases of resection-for cure, palliation and prophylaxis. This review summarizes the available evidence surrounding the impact of surgery on quality of life in gastric cancer. In general, there has been an improved appreciation of the importance of quality of life as an outcome that must be considered in the context of survival and performance status.