Análisis de calidad de vida en pacientes gastrectomizados por cáncer gástrico Quality of life of patients operated for gastric cancer

Background: Gastric cancer is the first cause of death by cáncer in Chile. Quality of Life is a multidimensional construct that explores functionality and well-being, including physiological, psychological and social aspects. Aim: To assess Quality of Life of patients operated for gastric cancer. Patients and methods: The European Organization Research and Treatment of Cáncer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-30), translated into Spanish, was applied to 33 patients, aged 42 to 82 years (25 males), subjected to curative total or subtotal gastrectomy for gastric cancer, between January 2004 and December 2006. Results: The average lapse from the moment of the surgical intervention to the interview, was 52.2 weeks. Fifty five percent perceived their Quality of Life in the "good" category. Male patients and those with less than 6 months of surgery, obtained better scores in psychological aspects of quality of life. Conclusions: A high percentage of patients operated for gastric cancer qualified their quality of life as good in spite of the severity of the underlying disease and invasiveness of the intervention. This is probably explained by the importance of psychological factors that influence quality of life.