Quality of life changes in elderly patients after gastrectomy: perspective of an aged Asian society in the 2010s

Abstract

Purpose The study aimed to investigate how elderly gastric cancer patients do postoperatively in terms of quality of life (QoL) compared to younger patients. We also investigated how the QoL of elderly gastric cancer patients has changed over the last decade in the aging population. Methods We included 113 elderly (≥70 years) and 202 younger patients, who underwent distal gastrectomy for stage I gastric cancer during the 2010s. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaires were used to assess preoperative and postoperative (3-month/1-year) QoL. The baseline QoL and postoperative QoL changes were compared. The elderly patients were further grouped into the early- and late-2010s groups, based on the year of surgery, and their QoL and clinical data were compared. Results The baseline QoL was significantly different on some scales (physical/role functionings, and pain/dyspnea/dysphagia) in favor of younger patients. The postoperative QoL changes were not different with the exception of emotional functioning (1-year postoperatively) in favor of younger patients. Compared to the early-2010s group, comorbidities were more frequent, and the proportion of stage IA cancer was higher in the late-2010s group. There were no QoL differences with the exception of insomnia and financial difficulties (3-months postoperatively) in favor of the late-2010s group. Conclusion Despite baseline QoL differences, elderly gastric cancer patients did as well as younger patients in terms of postoperative QoL changes. More elderly gastric cancer patients with comorbidities are undergoing gastrectomies nowadays and it does not cause them a significant QoL disadvantage.

Impact on quality of life with affirmative feedback on weight loss after gastrectomy

“…Second, there was a larger number of patients with comorbidities undergoing surgery over time. Protocols related to surgical decisions for patients with comorbidities were not changed, and such an increase would likely reflect the increased referral of patients with comorbidities for surgery in an aging society 34 – 36 . Finally, the sample size of the affirmative-feedback group was smaller as compared to that of the control group.…”

Quality of Life of Young Gastric Cancer Survivors: An Interpretation in the Context of Our Society

“…According to the latest study, the extent of postoperative QoL change was not different between elderly and general populations. However, the absolute scores disfavored elderly patients [1].…”

“…The age range of patients who undergo surgery for gastric cancer has expanded significantly over the last decade. While the increase in the number of elderly gastric cancer patients has been attributed to population aging for the past decades [1,2], the increased accessibility of the general population to endoscopic examinations has resulted in the detection of cancer at younger ages [3,4].…”