PURPOSE: Few studies have evaluated changes in quality of life (QoL) in relation to changes in body mass index (BMI) after gastrectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of postoperative changes in BMI on QoL after distal gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients. METHODS: QoL data from the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) gathered via the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-STO22 questionnaires were obtained from 1,036 patients preoperatively and at 1 year postoperatively. The patients were divided into 2 groups: group 1 - decreased postoperative BMI and group 2 - unchanged or increased postoperative BMI. RESULTS: There were 577 patients in group 1 and 459 in group 2. According to global health status and functional scales, emotional functioning (P = 0.035) was significantly worse in group 1 than in group 2 at 1 year postoperatively. Furthermore, there were significant decreases in QoL symptom scale scores, including fatigue (P = 0.016), nausea and vomiting (P = 0.002), and appetite loss (P = 0.001) scores, in group 1 compared with group 2. Regarding QLQ-STO22, reflux symptoms (P = 0.020), anxiety (P = 0.003), and body image (P = 0.003) were significantly worse in group 1 than in group 2 at 1 year after surgery. CONCLUSION: BMI changes after distal gastrectomy influence QoL. Focus on controlling gastrointestinal symptoms and providing psychological support is essential in patients with decreased BMI after surgery. Patients should be offered follow-up care to assist them in maintaining BMI, for example, through dietary-behavior modifications and via intensive nutritional support, to prevent QoL deterioration after distal gastrectomy.
Anxiety ; Appetite ; Body Image ; Body Mass Index ; Fatigue ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy ; Global Health ; Humans ; Nausea ; Nutritional Support ; Quality of Life ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Vomiting ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: We evaluated the impact of postoperative body mass index (BMI) shifts on the quality of life (QoL) following total gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: QoL data collected from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ)-C30 and QLQ-STO22 questionnaires were obtained from 417 patients preoperatively and 1 year after surgery. Patients were divided into two groups based on changes in BMI: group 1 comprised patientswhose BMIrange category dropped, and group 2 included patients who maintained or rose to a higher category compared to their preoperative BMI category. RESULTS: There were 276 patients in group 1 and 141 in group 2. QoLs with respect to the global health status and functional scales were not significantly different between the groups 1 year after surgery. However, there were significantly greater decreases in QoL in group 1 due to gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting (p=0.008), appetite loss (p=0.001), and constipation (p=0.038). Of the QLQ-STO22 parameters, dysphagia (p=0.013), pain (p=0.012), reflux symptoms (p=0.017), eating restrictions (p=0.007), taste (p=0.009), and body image (p=0.009) were associated with significantly worse QoL in group 1 than in group 2 1 year after surgery. CONCLUSION: Patients have significantly different QoLs depending on the BMI shift after total gastrectomy. Efforts to reduce the gap in QoL should include intensive nutritional support and restoration of dietary behaviors. Appropriate clinical and institutional approaches, plus active medical interventions, are required for maintaining patients’ BMIs after surgery.
Appetite ; Body Image ; Body Mass Index* ; Constipation ; Deglutition Disorders ; Eating ; Gastrectomy* ; Global Health ; Humans ; Nausea ; Nutritional Support ; Quality of Life* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Vomiting ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: This study evaluated midterm changes in body composition after open distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer. METHODS: Data from 138 gastric cancer patients who underwent open distal gastrectomy at Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital between January 2011 and December 2012 were collected and reviewed. Patients with pathological stage I gastric cancer and with no comorbidities at diagnosis were enrolled. Body composition data from segmental multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis were obtained preoperatively and at 1, 2, and 3 years after surgery. RESULTS: The mean body weight losses at 1 and 3 years after surgery were 6.1 kg and 5.8 kg, respectively (P < 0.001). The protein mass, skeletal muscle mass, and fat-free mass decreased continuously until 3 years after surgery (0.5 kg, 1.6 kg, and 2.4 kg, respectively; P < 0.001). The average body fat mass and visceral fat area loss at 1 year after surgery were 4.7 kg and 20.5 cm2, respectively (P < 0.001). After 1 postoperative year, the body fat mass and visceral fat areas increased continuously, up to 12.2 kg and 74.2 cm2 at 3 years after surgery, respectively (+1.4 kg and +1.2 cm2, respectively). CONCLUSION: More intense nutritional and exercise programs may be important after gastric cancer surgery, especially during the first postoperative year.
Adipose Tissue ; Body Composition* ; Body Weight ; Comorbidity ; Diagnosis ; Electric Impedance ; Gastrectomy* ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Humans ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: Patient quality of life (QoL) may be severely disrupted following distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer. This issue should be addressed to improve postoperative care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: QoL data from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, and its gastric cancer-specific module, were administered to 202 patients preoperatively, and 5 years postoperatively. Patients were classified into subgroups based on their answers to each questionnaire item: group I (good), answering “not at all”; group II (fair), answering “a little”; group III (poor), answering “quite a bit” or “very much.” RESULTS: At 5 years post-operation, the proportion of patients in group III on the functional scales ranged from 4.3% to 5.7%. The proportions of patients in group III with fatigue, insomnia, diarrhea, and financial difficulties were 8.9%, 9.0%, 11.5%, and 9.1%, respectively. The proportions of patients in group III with anxiety, dry mouth, body image concerns, and hair loss were 12.8%, 10.5%, 9.9%, and 12.6%, respectively. These proportions were less than 5% for other QoL symptom scales/items and for the gastric cancer-specific module. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients reported good or fair QoL following surgery. However, symptom management of fatigue, insomnia, diarrhea, anxiety, dry mouth, body image, and hair loss should be specifically targeted for long-term patient care in approximately 10% of patients.
Anxiety ; Body Image ; Diarrhea ; Fatigue ; Gastrectomy* ; Hair ; Humans ; Mouth ; Patient Care ; Postoperative Care ; Quality of Life* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the changes in nutritional status based on quality of life (QoL) item-level analysis to determine whether individual QoL responses might facilitate personal clinical impact. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study retrospectively evaluated QoL data obtained by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and Quality of Life Questionnaire-Stomach (QLQ-STO22) as well as metabolic-nutritional data obtained by bioelectrical impedance analysis and blood tests. Patients were assessed preoperatively and at the 5-year follow-up. QoL was analyzed at the level of the constituent items. The patients were categorized into vulnerable and non-vulnerable QoL groups for each scale based on their responses to the QoL items and changes in the metabolic-nutritional indices were compared. RESULTS: Multiple shortcomings in the metabolic-nutritional indices were observed in the vulnerable groups for nausea/vomiting (waist-hip ratio, degree of obesity), dyspnea (hemoglobin, iron), constipation (body fat mass, percent body fat), dysphagia (body fat mass, percent body fat), reflux (body weight, hemoglobin), dry mouth (percent body fat, waist-hip ratio), and taste (body weight, total body water, soft lean mass, body fat mass). The shortcomings in a single index were observed in the vulnerable groups for emotional functioning and pain (EORTC QLQ-C30) and for eating restrictions (EORTC QLQ-STO22). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term postoperative QoL deterioration in emotional functioning, nausea/vomiting, pain, dyspnea, constipation, dysphagia, reflux, eating restrictions, dry mouth, and taste were associated with nutritional shortcomings. QoL item-level analysis, instead of scale-level analysis, may help to facilitate personalized treatment for individual QoL respondents.
Adipose Tissue ; Body Composition ; Body Water ; Constipation ; Deglutition Disorders ; Dyspnea ; Eating ; Electric Impedance ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrectomy* ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Mouth ; Nutritional Status ; Quality of Life* ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Weights and Measures*

This study assessed the expression of the p53 protein, beta-catenin, and HER2 and their prognostic implications in patients with EBV-associated gastric cancer (EBVaGC). After reviewing 1318 consecutive cases of surgically resected or endoscopic submucosal dissected gastric cancers, 117 patients were identified as EBV-positive using EBV-encoded RNA in-situ hybridization. The immunohistochemistry results were interpreted as follows: strong p53 nuclear expression in at least 50% of tumor nuclei was interpreted as a positive result, strong beta-catenin expression in at least 10% of cytoplasmic nuclei was interpreted as a positive result, and moderate or strong complete or basolateral membrane staining in 10% of tumor cells was interpreted as a positive result for HER2. Immunohistochemical staining for p53 was performed on tumor tissue from 105 patients, among whom 25 (23.8%) tested positive. Meanwhile, beta-catenin expression was positive in 10 patients (17.5%) and HER2 expression was positive in 8 patients (6.8%). The positive expression of p53 was significantly associated with a high T stage (p=0.006). More patients with lymph node metastasis were p53-positive (p=0.013). In the univariate analysis, the p53-positive patients showed significantly decreased disease-free survival (DFS) when compared with the p53-negative patients (p=0.022), although the p53 status was only marginally associated with overall survival (OS) (p=0.080). However, p53 expression showed no prognostic significance on DFS in the multivariate analysis. Moreover, beta-catenin and HER2 showed no association with DFS and OS in the survival analysis. The current study found a significant correlation between p53 expression and tumor progression and lymph node metastases in patients with EBVaGC.
beta Catenin ; Cytoplasm ; Disease-Free Survival ; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; Membranes ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; RNA ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

PURPOSE: This study aimed to establish a large-scale database of patients with gastric cancer to facilitate the development of a national-cancer management system and a comprehensive cancer control policy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational prospective cohort study on gastric cancer was initiated in 2010. A total of 14 cancer centers throughout the country and 152 researchers were involved in this study. Patient enrollment began in January 2011, and data regarding clinicopathological characteristics, life style-related factors, quality of life, as well as diet diaries were collected. RESULTS: In total, 4,963 patients were enrolled until December 2014, and approximately 5% of all Korean patients with gastric cancer annually were included. The mean age was 58.2±11.5 years, and 68.2% were men. The number of patients in each stage was as follows: 3,394 patients (68.4%) were in stage IA/B; 514 patients (10.4%), in stage IIA/B; 469 patients (9.5%), in stage IIIA/B/C; and 127 patients (2.6%), in stage IV. Surgical treatment was performed in 3,958 patients (79.8%), endoscopic resection was performed in 700 patients (14.1%), and 167 patients (3.4%) received palliative chemotherapy. The response rate for the questionnaire on the quality of life was 95%; however, diet diaries were only collected for 27% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: To provide comprehensive information on gastric cancer for patients, physicians, and government officials, a large-scale database of Korean patients with gastric cancer was established. Based on the findings of this cohort study, an effective cancer management system and national cancer control policy could be developed.
Cohort Studies* ; Diet ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Occupational Groups ; Prospective Studies* ; Quality of Life ; Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: We validate the 7th American Joint Committee on Cancer/Union for International Cancer Control (AJCC/UICC) staging system for gastric cancer and propose a new staging system that reflects the prognostic significances of each of T and N category. METHODS: Data from 5,957 patients who underwent curative gastrectomies from 2000 to 2007 at 4 university hospitals in Daegu Metropolitan city in Korea were analyzed for the validation of the 7th AJCC/UICC staging system for gastric cancer. The hazard ratios of the respective T and N categories were estimated and converted to weightings and summated to make prognostic score (P-score). Homogeneity and stage grouping were determined according to the P-scores. RESULTS: In the 7th AJCC/UICC staging system for gastric cancer, poor discrimination was noted between stages IIB and IIIA (P = 0.152). In addition, heterogeneity in stage IIB (P = 0.021) and a small gap in 5-year survival rates (1.7%) between stages IA and IB were noted. A new proposed staging system was generated on the basis of P-scores and demonstrated more discrimination between stages and more homogeneity within stages. The new staging system reflects the different prognostic impacts of N3a and N3b. CONCLUSION: Several controversial issues of the 7th AJCC/UICC staging system for gastric cancer were reconfirmed in the present analysis. The TNM system based on P-score appears to be more scientifically accurate than the 7th AJCC/UICC staging system for gastric cancer.
Daegu ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Gastrectomy ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Joints ; Korea ; Population Characteristics ; Retrospective Studies* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: A few studies have prospectively evaluated changes in quality of life (QoL) after surgery in short-term survivors; however, no prospective study has evaluated the longitudinal changes in QoL in long-terms survivors. We prospectively evaluated the chronological changes in QoL after a gastrectomy over a 5-year postoperative period in a large group of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: QoL data from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and the QLQ-STO22 questionnaires were obtained from 254 patients who completed the entire series of QoL assessments preoperatively and at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years after surgery. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant change in global health status/QoL during the 5-year postoperative period. Decreases in QoL from upper gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea (p < 0.001), dysphagia (p < 0.001), reflux symptoms (p=0.029), and eating restrictions (p < 0.001) were observed among the long-term survivors. Decreased physical functioning (p < 0.001), role functioning (p < 0.001), and cognitive functioning (p < 0.001), along with fatigue (p=0.045) and a poor body image (p=0.003), negatively impacted the patients' QoL for a long time. CONCLUSION: Management of gastrointestinal symptoms should be specifically targeted as a part of long-term patient care after a gastrectomy. Proper nutritional care will improve food intake resulting in weight gain and improved physical functioning, role functioning, and body image. In addition, patients should be encouraged to preserve self-esteem and maintain social activity.
Body Image ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diarrhea ; Eating ; Fatigue ; Gastrectomy* ; Global Health ; Humans ; Patient Care ; Postoperative Period ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survivors* ; Weight Gain

No abstract available.