Quality of life after pancreatic surgery - A systematic review

Surgery for patients with pancreatic cancer carries a high risk of major post-operative complications and only marginally improves overall survival. This review aims to assess the impact of surgical resection on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of pancreatic cancer patients.

A systematic review of the literature was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. All studies assessing QOL using validated questionnaires in pancreatic cancer patients undergoing surgical resection were included.

Twenty-two studies were assessed. Patients reported a decrease in physical, social and global scales within the first 3 months after surgery. These values showed improvement and were comparable to baseline values by 6 months. Recovery in emotional functioning towards baseline figures was demonstrated in the first 3 months post-operatively. Symptom scales including pain, fatigue and diarrhoea deteriorated after surgery, but reverted to baseline after 3-6 months.

Surgical resection for pancreatic cancer has short-term negative impact on QOL. In the longer term, this will improve and eventually recover to baseline values after 6 months. Knowledge on the impact of surgery on QOL of pancreatic cancer patients is necessary to facilitate decision-making and tailoring of surgical techniques to the individual patient.