Patient-Reported Outcomes During Neoadjuvant Therapy for Gastrointestinal Cancer and Their Association with...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Patient-Reported Outcomes Research

Background:

• Neoadjuvant therapy (NT) for gastrointestinal (GI) cancers can cause adverse events.
• The predictive value of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and quality of life (QOL) during NT for postoperative complications remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether PROs and QOL during NT predict postoperative complications in patients with GI malignancies.
• To analyze the association between real-time PROs, QOL, and surgical outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study analyzed 104 patients with GI cancers undergoing NT.
• A mobile-phone application collected real-time PROs and monthly QOL (FACT-G).
• Univariate analyses assessed the association between PROs/QOL and postoperative Clavien-Dindo grade ≥2 complications.

Main Results:

• Of 69 surgical patients, 20 (28.9%) experienced 30-day complications.
• No significant differences in baseline demographics, NT duration, or cancer type were observed between groups.
• Patients with complications reported more appetite loss and pain, but less fatigue, anxiety, sleep disturbance, lack of focus, depression, and frustration compared to those without complications.

Conclusions:

• Specific PROs, such as appetite loss and pain, are associated with postoperative complications following neoadjuvant therapy in GI cancer patients.
• Further research is warranted to explore how preoperative PROs can inform patient-centered interventions to mitigate postoperative complications.