Impact of pancreatectomy on long-term patient-reported symptoms and quality of life in recurrence-free survivors of pancreatic and periampullary neoplasms.

BACKGROUND: Long term patient-reported symptoms and quality of life (QOL) are important outcome metrics following cancer operations, but have been poorly described in patients who have previously undergone pancreatectomy.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of recurrence-free survivors of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, periampullary carcinomas, and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors who had undergone prior pancreatectomy. QOL and symptom burden were measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary Questionnaire, and psychosocial distress was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
RESULTS: Of 331 eligible patients surveyed, 217 (66%) participated at a median of 53.3 (range, 7.6-214.8) months following pancreatoduodenectomy (PD, n = 165) or distal pancreatectomy (DP, n = 52). Among all patients, overall QOL scores were favorable and influenced by race, histology, and type of surgery. The most common significant symptoms reported were fatigue (82%), back pain (32%), and difficulty with digestion (31%). In general, PD survivors reported better QOL, lower levels of anxiety/depression, greater levels of diarrhea, and improved appetite, constipation, fatigue, anxiety, and depression (P < 0.05) than DP survivors. On both univariate and multivariate regression analysis, DP was negatively associated with QOL.
CONCLUSIONS: Most disease-free survivors of pancreatic neoplasms report favorable QOL, but gastrointestinal and psychosocial symptoms may exist long after pancreatectomy. J. Surg. Oncol. 2017;115:144-150.