Patient-reported outcomes following esophagectomy

The impact on quality of life (QoL) following esophagectomy is well reported in many studies that have analyzed patient-reported outcomes (PROs). The morbidity surrounding esophagectomy mainly lies within the significant lifestyle changes that can be permanent in some patients. Research efforts in cancer treatments primarily focus on measurements of survival and major morbidity to establish the best therapy that provides the longest survival, but they do not consider the global well-being of the patient. PROs assist in this measurement of QoL and health that is obtained from the patient or caregiver. These instruments are of minimal burden and cost to the patient and are generally utilized before each clinic visit which can help quantify symptoms and improve communication between patients and their surgeons. PROs can also be successfully integrated into the electronic medical records for a standardized approach to collection of data. Review of PRO studies have demonstrated a consensus of an overall decrease in QoL immediately following esophagectomy, but there is a discordance in long-term analyses regarding health-related QoL (HRQoL) scores that return to baseline. This review focuses on methods of gathering and utilizing PRO data, as well as reviewing the current literature regarding QoL research in those undergoing esophagectomy for both short-term and long-term periods.