Lasting Symptoms After Esophageal Resection (LASER): European Multicenter Cross-sectional Study.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Outcomes
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Long-term symptom burden after esophagectomy remains poorly understood.
• The impact of post-surgical symptoms on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify prevalent symptoms in esophageal cancer survivors post-esophagectomy.
• To determine which symptoms most significantly impact health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 876 esophageal cancer survivors from 20 European centers completed validated questionnaires (LASER, EORTC QLQ-C30, QLQ-OG25) at least 1 year post-surgery.
• Multivariable regression analysis was used to identify specific symptoms associated with poor HRQOL.

Main Results:

• 66.9% of survivors reported symptoms within 6 months post-esophagectomy.
• Pain at chest scars, low mood, and reduced energy/activity tolerance were significantly associated with poor HRQOL (ORs 1.27-1.37).
• Only 13.8% of patients returned to their previous work activities.

Conclusions:

• A significant proportion of esophageal cancer survivors experience persistent symptoms impacting their quality of life.
• Three key symptoms—chest scar pain, low mood, and reduced energy—are strongly linked to diminished HRQOL and warrant clinical attention.
• These findings suggest a need for validated tools to identify patients requiring additional support in clinical practice.