Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Following Pancreatectomy for Pancreatic Cancer: A Scoping Review

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are essential for evaluating quality of life in patients undergoing pancreatectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This scoping review synthesises evidence on PROMs used in this population to guide future research.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR reporting standards in March 2025 using PubMed, Embase, Medline, and the Cochrane Library from 2014 onwards, focusing on studies evaluating quality of life in patients post-pancreatectomy for PDAC. Studies reporting patient-reported outcomes in adults post-pancreatectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were included. Two independent reviewers screened studies, with disagreements resolved by discussion and consensus with a third reviewer. We summarised key methodological characteristics of included studies to provide context for the reported findings, consistent with scoping review methodology.

From 639 articles identified, 24 met the inclusion criteria: five RCTs, nine prospective, and 10 retrospective cohort studies. The most frequently used QoL instruments were the EORTC QLQ-C30 (13 studies) and QLQ-PAN26 (six studies). Generic tools captured broad health domains but lacked disease specificity, while PDAC-specific instruments provided targeted symptom assessment but varied in psychometric robustness. Fatigue and psychological burden were commonly reported. Barriers to PROM integration include time constraints, lack of standardisation, and limited electronic health record flexibility. Combining generic and disease-specific instruments improves comprehensiveness but increases respondent burden.

PROMs are vital in quantifying QoL post-pancreatectomy for PDAC. Future research should prioritise developing abridged, disease-specific PROMs that are concise and compatible with routine clinical practice.