Weight loss and quality of life in patients surviving 2 years after gastric cancer resection

Background: Malnutrition is common in patients undergoing gastric cancer resection, leading to weight loss, although little is known about how this impacts on health related quality of life (HRQL) This study aimed to explore the association between HRQL and weight loss in patients 2 years after curative gastric cancer resection. Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing curative gastric cancer resection and surviving at least 2 years without disease recurrence were recruited. Patients completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the specific module for gastric cancer (STO22) before and 2 years postoperatively and associations between HRQL scores and patients with and without ≥ 10% body weight loss (BWL) were examined. Results: A total of 76 patients were included, of whom 51 (67%) had BWL ≥ 10%. At 2 years postoperatively, BWL ≥ 10% was associated with deterioration of all functional aspects of quality of life, with persistent pain (21.6%), diarrhoea (13.7%) and nausea/vomiting (13.7%). By contrast, none of the patients with BWL < 10% experienced severe nausea/vomiting, pain or diarrhoea. Conclusions: Disabling symptoms occurred more frequently in patients with ≥ 10% BWL than in those with < 10% BWL, with a relevant negative impact on HRQL. A cause-effect relationship between weight loss and postoperative outcome remains unsolved.