Quality of Life and Mood in Older Patients After Major Lung Resection

The value of perioperative physical activity in older patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer

INTRODUCTION

With a median age at diagnosis of 70, lung cancer represents an enormous public health problem among older Americans. An estimated 19,000 people age 65 and older undergo lung cancer surgery annually in the US. Older adults undergoing lung cancer surgery are often frail with limited physiologic reserves, multi-morbidities, and functional impairments. Physical function, dyspnea, and quality of life return to baseline slower in older adults compared with younger adults after lung surgery.

AREAS COVERED

In this review, we summarize available data about perioperative physical activity interventions that may improve outcomes for older adults undergoing lung cancer surgery. We also review the limitations of existing studies and discuss emerging data on the roles of telehealth and family caregiver inclusion in peri-operative physical activity interventions.

EXPERT OPINION

We propose that future perioperative physical activity interventions in older adults undergoing lung cancer surgery should include a comprehensive geriatric assessment to guide personalized interventions. Interventions should be conceptually based, with a focus on enhancing self-efficacy, motivation, and adherence through classic behavior change strategies that are proven to impact outcomes. Finally, interventions should be designed with attention to feasibility and scalability. Exercise programs delivered via telehealth (telephone or tele-video) may improve access and convenience for patients.

Symptom severity trajectories and distresses in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic lung resection from surgery to the first post-discharge clinic visit

This study aimed to characterize patients' symptom severity trajectories and distresses from video-assisted thoracoscopic lung resection to the first post-discharge clinic visit. Seventy-five patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung resection for diagnosed or suspected pulmonary malignancy prospectively recorded daily symptom severity on a 0-10 numeric scale using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory until the first post-discharge clinic visit. The causes of postoperative distresses were surveyed, and symptom severity trajectories were analyzed using joinpoint regression. A rebound was defined as a statistically significant positive slope after a statistically significant negative slope. Symptom recovery was defined as symptom severity of ≤3 in two contiguous measurements. The accuracy of pain severity on days 1-5 for predicting pain recovery was determined using area under the receiver operating characteristic curves. We applied Cox proportional hazards models for multivariate analyses of the potential predictors of early pain recovery. The median age was 70 years, and females accounted for 48%. The median interval from surgery to the first post-discharge clinic visit was 20 days. Trajectories of several core symptoms including pain showed a rebound from day 3 or 4. Specifically, pain severity in patients with unrecovered pain had been higher than those with recovered pain since day 4. Pain severity on day 4 showed the highest area under the curve of 0.723 for predicting pain recovery (P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified pain severity of ≤1 on day 4 as an independent predictor of early pain recovery (hazard ratio, 2.86; P = 0.0027). Duration of symptom was the leading cause of postoperative distress. Several core symptoms after thoracoscopic lung resection showed a rebound in the trajectory. Specifically, a rebound in pain trajectory may be associated with unrecovered pain; pain severity on day 4 may predict early pain recovery. Further clarification of symptom severity trajectories is essential for patient-centered care.

Quality of Life in Octogenarians After Lung Resection Compared to Younger Patients

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate postoperative outcome and quality of life (QOL), comparing patients <80 years old to patients ≥ 80.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

EORTC questionnaires, QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13 was used to assess QOL, in patients after surgery. Results were evaluated according to 3 age groups: <70, 70 to 79, and ≥80.

RESULTS

106 patients were enrolled with 33 (<70), 25 (70-79), and 48 (≥80) patients per group. The median age was 74 years. 79% of patients had minimally invasive procedures, including 91% of those ≥80. Fifteen patients underwent wedge resections. Complication rates (18%, 32%, and 29%, P = .4) and median length of stay (4, 6, and 5 days, P = .2) were similar in all age groups, with no hospital mortality. One hundred one patients completed the questionnaires. Global QOL was highest among octogenarians. Overall functional and role QOL was higher among octogenarians than 70- to 79-year-olds, with emotional QOL higher than those <70 (P < .05). Social QOL in octogenarians was marginally lower than younger patients. Lung-specific symptom scores were at least 1.5 times lower than those <80 (P = .052). Patients aged 70 to 79 had the worst symptomatic and emotional effect on QOL. Surgical access and preoperative performance status did not affect final QOL across all age groups (P = .9 and P = .065). Among anatomical lung resections, QOL was higher in octogenarians than those 70 to 79 in all domains, and similar or higher than those <70 in most domains.

CONCLUSION

Quality of life among octogenarians after surgery remains similar to younger patients even after anatomical lung resection. Surgery in octogenarians is safe, with minimal impact on postoperative QOL.

Poor preoperative quality of life predicts prolonged hospital stay after VATS lobectomy for lung cancer

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess whether quality of life (QoL) scales are associated with postoperative length of stay (LoS) following video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy for lung cancer.

METHODS

This is a single-centre retrospective analysis on 250 consecutive patients submitted to VATS lobectomies (233) or segmentectomies (17) over a period of 3 years. QoL was assessed in all patients by the self-administration of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 questionnaire. The individual QoL scales were tested for possible association with LoS along with other objective baseline and surgical parameters using univariable and multivariable analyses.

RESULTS

Thirty-day cardiopulmonary and mortality rates were 22% and 2.4%. The median LoS was 4 days [interquartile range (IQR) 3-7]. Fifty-one (20%) patients remained in hospital longer than 7 days after surgery (upper quartile). General health [global health score (GHS)] (P = 0.019), physical function (P = 0.014) and role functioning (P = 0.016) scales were significantly worse in patients with prolonged stay. They were highly correlated between each other and tested separately in different logistic regression analyses. The best model resulted the one containing GHS (P = 0.032) along with age, low force expiratory volume in 1 s and carbon monoxide lung diffusion capacity and history of cerebrovascular disease. Fifty-nine patients had GHS <58 (lower interquartile value). Thirty-one percent of them experienced prolonged hospital stay (vs 17% of those with higher GHS, P = 0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative patient-reported QoL was associated with prolonged postoperative hospital stay. Baseline QoL status should be taken into consideration to implement psychosocial supportive programmes in the context of enhanced recovery after surgery.

European Society of Thoracic Surgeons electronic quality of life application after lung resection: field testing in a clinical setting

OBJECTIVES

Technology has the potential to assist healthcare professionals in improving patient-doctor communication during the surgical journey. Our aims were to assess the acceptability of a quality of life (QoL) application (App) in a cohort of cancer patients undergoing lung resections and to depict the early perioperative trajectory of QoL.

METHODS

This multicentre (Italy, UK, Spain, Canada and Switzerland) prospective longitudinal study with repeated measures used 12 lung surgery-related validated questions from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Item Bank. Patients filled out the questionnaire preoperatively and 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after surgery using an App preinstalled in a tablet. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance was run to determine if there were differences in QoL over time.

RESULTS

A total of 103 patients consented to participate in the study (83 who had lobectomies, 17 who had segmentectomies and 3 who had pneumonectomies). Eighty-three operations were performed by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Compliance rates were 88%, 90%, 88%, 82%, 71% and 56% at each time point, respectively. The results showed that the operation elicited statistically significant worsening in the following symptoms: shortness of breath (SOB) rest (P = 0.018), SOB walk (P < 0.001), SOB stairs (P = 0.015), worry (P = 0.003), wound sensitivity (P < 0.001), use of arm and shoulder (P < 0.001), pain in the chest (P < 0.001), decrease in physical capability (P < 0.001) and scar interference on daily activity (P < 0.001) during the first postoperative month. SOB worsened immediately after the operation and remained low at the different time points. Worry improved following surgery. Surgical access and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) are the factors that most strongly affected the evolution of the symptoms in the perioperative period.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed good early compliance of patients operated on for lung cancer with the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons QoL App. We determined the evolution of surgery-related QoL in the immediate postoperative period. Monitoring these symptoms remotely may reduce hospital appointments and help to establish early patient-support programmes.

Patient-Reported Outcomes in Cardiothoracic Surgery

BACKGROUND

Current studies in cardiothoracic clinical research frequently fail to use end points that are most meaningful to patients, including measures associated with quality of life. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) represent an underused but important component of high-quality patient-centered care. Our objective was to highlight important principles of PRO measurement, describe current use in cardiothoracic operations, and discuss the potential for and challenges associated with integration of PROs into large clinical databases.

METHODS

We performed a literature review by using the PubMed/EMBASE databases. Clinical articles that focused on the use of PROs in cardiothoracic surgical outcomes measurement or clinical research were included in this review.

RESULTS

PROs measure the outcomes that matter most to patients and facilitate the delivery of patient-centered care. When effectively used, PRO measures have provided detailed and nuanced quality-of-life data for comparative effectiveness research. However, further steps are needed to better integrate PROs into routine clinical care.

CONCLUSIONS

Incorporation of PROs into routine clinical practice is essential for delivering high-quality patient-centered care. Future integration of PROs into prospectively collected registries and databases, including that The Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database, has the potential to enrich comparative effectiveness research in cardiothoracic surgery.

Converting EORTC QLQ-C30 scores to utility scores in the brigatinib ALTA study

Aims: Health utilities summarize a patient's overall health status. This study estimated utilities based on the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 (QLQ-C30), a widely used measure of health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) in oncology, using published mapping algorithms. Materials and methods: Data were from the Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) in Lung Cancer Trial of brigatinib (ALTA; NCT02094573), an open-label, international, phase 2 study. ALTA evaluated the efficacy and safety of two randomized dosing regimens of brigatinib in patients with locally advanced or metastatic ALK + non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that had progressed on prior therapy with crizotinib. QLQ-C30 scores were mapped to European Quality-of-Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) utility scores using two published algorithms (Khan et al. for EQ-5D-5L; Longworth et al. for EQ-5D-3L). The impact of brigatinib treatment on health utilities over time was assessed. Results: The analysis included 208 subjects. Mean baseline utility scores for both algorithms ranged between 0.60 - 0.71 and increased to 0.78 by cycle 5. Utility improvements were sustained during most of the treatment, before disease progression. Minor variations were observed between utility scores; Khan et al. estimates were approximately 0.01 or 0.02 points lower than Longworth et al. estimates. Limitations: Algorithms considered were limited to those available in the published literature at the time of the study. This utility analysis was exploratory, and the ALTA trial did not include an internal control group (i.e. standard of care) and was not powered to detect differences in QoL/utility outcomes between treatment arms. Conclusions: Converting QLQ-C30 scores into utilities in trials using established mapping algorithms can improve evaluation of medicines from the patient perspective. Both algorithms suggested that brigatinib improved health utility in crizotinib-refractory ALK + NSCLC patients, and improvements were maintained during most of the treatment. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02094573.

Using patient-reported outcomes to manage postoperative symptoms in patients with lung cancer: protocol for a multicentre, randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Surgery is one of the primary treatments for lung cancer. The postoperative symptom burden experienced by patients with lung cancer is substantial, seriously delaying their recovery from surgery and impairing their quality of life. Patient-reported outcome (PRO)-based symptom management is increasingly regarded as an optimal model for patient-centred care. Currently, clinical trial-based evidence involving early-phase (immediately after surgery for up to 1 month) symptom management of lung cancer is lacking. We propose a randomised trial to evaluate the effect of a PRO-based symptom-monitoring programme with overthreshold alerts and responses for postoperative recovery in patients with lung cancer.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The study will recruit 160 patients with lung cancer from six hospitals. The patients will be randomly allocated to the intervention group or control group in a ratio of 1:1. Patients in the intervention group will receive PRO-based symptom management from the specialists when their reported target symptom (pain, coughing, fatigue, disturbed sleep and shortness of breath) scores reach the preset threshold (score ≥4). Patients in the control group will not generate alerts and will follow the standard procedures for symptom management. All patients will receive symptom assessments via the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-lung cancer module on the day before surgery, daily after surgery and twice a week after discharge until 4 weeks or the start of postoperative oncological treatment. The primary outcome-mean symptom threshold events-will be compared between the intervention and control group via independent sample Student's t-test.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Sichuan Cancer Hospital on 22 November 2018 (No. SCCHEC-02-2018-045). This manuscript is based on V.2.0, 9 May 2019 of the protocol. The study results will be disseminated in publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at academic conferences.

TRIALS REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR1900020846.

Patient-reported outcomes and quality of life in advanced ALK+ non-small-cell lung cancer trial of brigatinib (ALTA)

Aim: Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) can support clinically relevant primary end points. Materials & methods: The ALTA trial, an open-label, Phase II, randomized dose-comparison study, evaluated the safety and efficacy of brigatinib in ALK+ non-small-cell lung cancer. PRO data collection included the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 (QLQ-C30). A linear mixed model for repeated measures was used to analyze change from baseline in the Global Health Status/Quality of Life subscale (GHS/QOL), with a change of greater than or equal to ten points deemed meaningful. Results: Improvement in mean GHS/QOL scores was statistically significant in the majority of treatment cycles; <10% of patients experienced a meaningful worsening of their GHS/QOL and symptom scores. Conclusion: PRO-measured benefits are consistent with objective response benefits associated with brigatinib.

Treatment strategy and decision-making for elderly surgical candidates with early lung cancer

Among elderly cancer patients of the same chronological age, there is a wide range of heterogeneity in their ability to tolerate surgery. When an elderly patient comes to a thoracic surgeon, the surgeon first considers how healthy the patient is. If the patient looks healthy or in fit condition, the surgeon offers lobectomy plus mediastinal lymph node dissection. On the other hand, if the patient looks frail, the surgeon may offer, instead of a standard treatment, lobectomy without lymph node dissection, sublobar resection, or radiotherapy or may not offer any kind of treatment. This review was conducted to obtain an overview of these options and compare the treatment outcomes reported in the literature for the purpose of making a good decision for elderly surgical candidates with early lung cancer.

A Review of Quality of Life Measures used in Surgical Outcomes for Stage I Lung Cancers

This review summarizes the literature on QoL in early stage lung cancer patients who underwent surgery. PubMed and PsycINFO were searched. Twelve articles from 10 distinct studies were identified for a total of 992 patients. Five QoL measures were used. One study reported only on pre-surgical QoL, six only on post-surgical QoL and three studies reported on both pre- and post-surgical QoL. Timing for the administration of post-surgical QoL surveys varied. The literature on QoL in Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer patients is very sparse. Additional research is needed to explore the impact of different surgical approaches on QoL.

EORTC QLQ-C30 summary score reliably detects changes in QoL three months after anatomic lung resection for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

INTRODUCTION

We tested the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (EORTC QLQ-C30) summary score (SumSC) to detect changes in the HRQOL after Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) surgery and compared its performance to the traditional scales.

METHOD

EORTC QLQ-C30 data was obtained from 326 consecutive pre-operative patients submitted for anatomical lung resections for NSCLC.66 patients completed post-operative assessments 3 months after surgery. The data was analysed to evaluate the ability of the SumSC compared to the traditional scales to [1] preoperatively differentiate between clinical groups [2]; detect post-op changes and to [3] compare pre and post-op changes in clinically different groups.The importance of perioperative changes was measured by calculating the effect size (ES).

RESULTS

Of the 326 patients, those older than 70 years, with higher DLCO value and Performance Status (PS) ≤1 had a significantly better preoperative SumScore. Physical function (PF) showed a large and significant decline (ES 0.91). Role and social function also showed a significant and medium decline (ES 0.62 and 0.41). Postoperatively some symptoms scales showed significant increases in the values, implying worse symptoms with the largest increase in dyspnoea (ES -0.88). The change in General Health score (GH) was not significant after surgery (ES 0.26, p = 0.062). The SumSc, decreased significantly postoperatively. In particular, medium or large postoperative declines of SumSc were observed in both males and females, in patients with lower FEV1, lower performance score, and in those older than 70 years. Interestingly the decline of SumSc was observed irrespective of the preoperative DLCO level.

DISCUSSION

The Summary Score was more sensitive to changes in subjects' HRQOL, than the GH score. The SumSc can be used as a parsimonious and easy to interpreted patient-reported-outcome measure in multi-institutional database and future clinical trials.

Changes in Health-Related Quality of Life During Rehabilitation in Patients With Operable Lung Cancer: A Feasibility Study (PROLUCA)

INTRODUCTION

Surgical resection in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be associated with significant morbidity, functional limitations, and decreased quality of life.

OBJECTIVES

The objective is to present health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes over time before and 1 year after surgery in patients with NSCLC participating in a rehabilitation program.

METHODS

Forty patients with NSCLC in disease stage I to IIIa, referred for surgical resection at the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery RT, Rigshospitalet, were included in the study. The rehabilitation program comprised supervised group exercise program, 2 hours weekly for 12 weeks, combined with individual counseling. The study endpoints were self-reported HRQoL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung, European Organization for Research and Treatment in Cancer-Quality of Life Questionnaire-QLQ-C30, Short-Form-36) and self-reported distress, anxiety, depression, and social support (National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), measured presurgery, postintervention, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery.

RESULTS

Forty patients were included, 73% of whom completed rehabilitation. Results on emotional well-being ( P < .0001), global quality of life ( P = .0032), and mental health component score ( P = .0004) showed an overall statistically significant improvement during the study.

CONCLUSION

This feasibility study demonstrated that global quality of life, mental health, and emotional well-being improved significantly during the study, from time of diagnosis until 1 year after resection, in patients with NSCLC participating in rehabilitation.

Preparing Cancer Patients and Family Caregivers for Lung Surgery: Development of a Multimedia Self-Management Intervention

The surgical treatment of lung malignancies often results in persistent symptoms, psychosocial distress, and decrements in quality of life (QOL) for cancer patients and their family caregivers (FCGs). The potential benefits of providing patients and FCGs with preparatory education that begins in the preoperative setting have been explored in multiple medical conditions, with positive impact observed on postoperative recovery, psychological distress, and QOL. However, few studies have explored the benefits of preparatory educational interventions to promote self-management in cancer surgery, including lung surgery. This paper describes the systematic approach used in the development of a multimedia self-management intervention to prepare cancer patients and their FCGs for lung surgery. Intervention development was informed by (1) contemporary published evidence on the impact of lung surgery on patients and FCG, (2) our previous research that explored QOL, symptoms, and caregiver burden after lung surgery, (3) the use of the chronic care self-management model (CCM) to guide intervention design, and (4) written comments and feedback from patients and FCGs that informed intervention development and refinement. Pilot-testing of the intervention is in process, and a future randomized trial will determine the efficacy of the intervention to improve patient, FCG, and system outcomes.

Systematic short-term pulmonary rehabilitation before lung cancer lobectomy: a randomized trial

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this study was to assess the impact of a preoperative 1-week, systematic, high-intensity inpatient exercise regimen on patients with lung cancer who had risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs).

METHODS

We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 101 subjects of a preoperative, 7-day systematic, integrated, high-intensity pulmonary exercise regimen. The control group received standard preoperative care. We analysed the occurrence of PPCs in both groups as the primary outcome; other outcomes included changes in blood gas, quality of life, peak expiratory flow rate, the 6-min walk distance and others.

RESULTS

The 6-min walk distance showed an increase of 22.9 ± 25.9 m in the intervention group compared with 4.2 ± 9.2 m in the control group, giving a between-group difference of 18.7 m (95% confidence interval: 8.8-28.6; P < 0.001); the peak expiratory flow increased by 25.2 ± 24.6 l/min, compared with 4.2 ± 7.7 l/min (between-group difference: 21.0 m, 95% confidence interval: 7.2-34.8; P = 0.003). The intervention group had a shorter average total (15.6 ± 3.6 vs 17.7 ± 5.3 days, P = 0.023) and postoperative length of stay (6.1 ± 3.0 vs 8.7 ± 4.6 days, P = 0.001) than the control group; the incidence of PPCs (9.8%, 5/51 vs 28.0%, 14/50, P = 0.019) was significantly lower. A multivariable analysis of the risk of PPCs identified short-term rehabilitation intervention to be an independent risk factor (odds ratio = 0.156, 95% confidence interval: 0.037-0.649, P = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

The study results suggested that a systematic, high-intensity pulmonary exercise programme was a practical strategy when performed preoperatively in patients with lung cancer with risk factors for PPCs.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ChiCTR-IOR-16008109.

Patient-Reported Outcomes in Thoracic Surgery

The existing thoracic surgical literature contains several retrospective and observational studies that include patient-reported outcomes. To deliver true patient-centered care, it will be necessary to universally gather patient-reported outcomes prospectively, including them in routine patient care, clinical registries, and clinical trials.

Curative resection for lung cancer in octogenarians is justified

BACKGROUND

Due to an increased life expectancy in a healthy aging population and a progressive incidence of lung cancer, curative pulmonary resections can be performed even in octogenarians. The present study aims to investigate whether surgery is justified in patients reaching the age of 80 years and older who undergo resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

In this retrospective multi-centre analysis, the morbidity, mortality and long-term survival of 88 patients (24 females) aged ≥80 who underwent complete resection for lung cancer between 2000 and 2013 were analysed. Only fit patients with few comorbidities, low cardiopulmonary risk, good quality of life and a life expectancy of at least 5 years were included.

RESULTS

Curative resections from three thoracic surgery centres included 61 lobectomies, 9 bilobectomies, 6 pneumonectomies and 12 segmentectomies or wide wedge resections with additional systematic mediastinal lymphadenectomy in all cases. Final histology revealed squamous cell carcinoma [33], adenocarcinoma [41], large cell carcinoma [5] or other histological types [9]. Lung cancer stage distribution was 0 [1], I [53], II [17] and IIIA [14]. The overall 90-day mortality was 1.1%. The median hospitalisation and chest drainage times were 10 days (range, 5-27 days) and 5 days (range, 0-17 days), respectively. Thirty-six patients were complication-free (41%). In particular, pulmonary complications occurred in 25 patients (28%). In addition, 23 patients (26%) developed cardiovascular complications requiring medical intervention, while 24 patients (27%) had cerebrovascular complications, urinary tract infection and others. The median survival time was 51 months (range, 1-110 months), and the 5-year overall survival reached 45% without significance between tumour stages.

CONCLUSIONS

Curative lung resections in selected octogenarians can be safely performed up to pneumonectomy for all tumour stages with a perioperative mortality, morbidity, and 5-year survival rate comparable to younger cohorts.

Integrated Palliative Care and Oncologic Care in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

OPINION STATEMENT

Palliative care integrated into standard medical oncologic care will transform the way we approach and practice oncologic care. Integration of appropriate components of palliative care into oncologic treatment using a pathway-based approach will be described in this review. Care pathways build on disease status (early, locally advanced, advanced) as well as patient and family needs. This allows for an individualized approach to care and is the best means for proactive screening, assessment, and intervention, to ensure that all palliative care needs are met throughout the continuum of care. Components of palliative care that will be discussed include assessment of physical symptoms, psychosocial distress, and spiritual distress. Specific components of these should be integrated based on disease trajectory, as well as clinical assessment. Palliative care should also include family and caregiver education, training, and support, from diagnosis through survivorship and end of life. Effective integration of palliative care interventions have the potential to impact quality of life and longevity for patients, as well as improve caregiver outcomes.

Surgical complications and their impact on patients' psychosocial well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Surgical complications may affect patients psychologically due to challenges such as prolonged recovery or long-lasting disability. Psychological distress could further delay patients' recovery as stress delays wound healing and compromises immunity. This review investigates whether surgical complications adversely affect patients' postoperative well-being and the duration of this impact.

METHODS

The primary data sources were 'PsychINFO', 'EMBASE' and 'MEDLINE' through OvidSP (year 2000 to May 2012). The reference lists of eligible articles were also reviewed. Studies were eligible if they measured the association of complications after major surgery from 4 surgical specialties (ie, cardiac, thoracic, gastrointestinal and vascular) with adult patients' postoperative psychosocial outcomes using validated tools or psychological assessment. 13,605 articles were identified. 2 researchers independently extracted information from the included articles on study aims, participants' characteristics, study design, surgical procedures, surgical complications, psychosocial outcomes and findings. The studies were synthesised narratively (ie, using text). Supplementary meta-analyses of the impact of surgical complications on psychosocial outcomes were also conducted.

RESULTS

50 studies were included in the narrative synthesis. Two-thirds of the studies found that patients who suffered surgical complications had significantly worse postoperative psychosocial outcomes even after controlling for preoperative psychosocial outcomes, clinical and demographic factors. Half of the studies with significant findings reported significant adverse effects of complications on patient psychosocial outcomes at 12 months (or more) postsurgery. 3 supplementary meta-analyses were completed, 1 on anxiety (including 2 studies) and 2 on physical and mental quality of life (including 3 studies). The latter indicated statistically significantly lower physical and mental quality of life (p<0.001) for patients who suffered surgical complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical complications appear to be a significant and often long-term predictor of patient postoperative psychosocial outcomes. The results highlight the importance of attending to patients' psychological needs in the aftermath of surgical complications.

Quality of life after lung resection for lung cancer

Radical and palliative treatments for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been reported to have a significant impact on the patient quality of life (QoL). The increasing improvements in lung cancer diagnosis and cures in recent years have changed the perspectives of quantity and quality of the life after cancer in these patients. However, despite a growing interest about patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in surgical oncology, we are quite distant from a routine collection of QoL data after pulmonary resection for NSCLC. The presence of this gap is due to several reasons: the lack of validated surgical-specific questionnaires, the inappropriate consideration of traditional objective parameters as surrogates of QoL outcomes and the difficulties in dealing with missing items in this type of research. However, a recent the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) survey exploring the use of QoL data in our field has revealed that almost half of the units responding to the questionnaire collect QoL informations from their patients. Increased consensus and collaboration between surgeons are needed to include routinely PROMs in randomized controlled trials. The objective of this paper is to review the best available evidence published in the literature and regarding QoL after lung resection for cancer, aiming at identifying topics deserving further investigations.

Validity of the EuroQol-5 dimensions as a measure of recovery after pulmonary resection

BACKGROUND

Surgical innovations advocated to improve patient recovery are often costly. Economic evaluation requires preference-based measures that reflect the construct of patient recovery. We investigated the responsiveness and construct validity of the EuroQol-5 dimensions (EQ-5D) as a measure of postoperative recovery after planned pulmonary resection for suspected malignant tumors.

METHODS

Patients undergoing pulmonary resection completed the EQ-5D questionnaire and visual analog scales (VAS) for pain and fatigue at baseline (preoperatively) and at 1 and 3 mo postoperatively. Responsiveness and construct validity (discriminant and convergent) were investigated by testing a priori hypotheses.

RESULTS

Fifty-five patients were analyzed (45% male, 62 ± 12 y, 29% video-assisted). There was no significant difference between median EQ-5D scores obtained at baseline (0.83 [interquartile range {IQR 0.80-1}]) compared to scores at 1 mo (0.83 [0.80-1], P = 0.86) and 3 mo after surgery (1 [0.83-1]; P = 0.09). At 1 mo after surgery, EQ-5D scores were significantly lower in patients undergoing thoracotomy versus video-assisted surgery (0.82 [IQR 0.77-0.89] versus 1 [0.83-1], P = 0.003), but there were no significant differences between patients ≥ 70-y old versus younger (0.95 [IQR 0.82-1] versus 0.83 [0.77-1], P = 0.09) or between patients with versus without complications (0.82 [IQR 0.79-0.95] versus 0.83 [0.80-1], P = 0.10). There was a low but significant correlation between EQ-5D and VAS scores of pain and fatigue (Rho -0.30 to -0.47, P ≤ 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite evidence of convergent validity, the EQ-5D was not sensitive to the hypothesized trajectory of postoperative recovery and showed limited discriminant validity. This study suggests that the EQ-5D may not be appropriate to value recovery after lung resection.

Too sick not to exercise: using a 6-week, home-based exercise intervention for cancer-related fatigue self-management for postsurgical non-small cell lung cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Two prevalent unmet supportive care needs reported by the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) population include the need to manage fatigue and attain adequate exercise to meet the physical demands of daily living. Yet, there are no guidelines for routine rehabilitative support to address fatigue and exercise for persons with NSCLC during the critical transition from hospital to home after thoracotomy.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, safety, and changes in study end points of a home-based exercise intervention to enhance perceived self-efficacy for cancer-related fatigue (CRF) self-management for persons after thoracotomy for NSCLC transitioning from hospital to home.

INTERVENTIONS/METHODS

Guided by the principles of the Transitional Care Model and the Theory of Symptom Self-management, a single-arm design composed of 7 participants with early-stage NSCLC performed light-intensity walking and balance exercises in a virtual reality environment with the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus. Exercise started the first week after hospitalization for thoracotomy and continued for 6 weeks.

RESULTS

The intervention positively impacted end points such as CRF severity; perceived self-efficacy for fatigue self-management, walking, and balance; CRF self-management behaviors (walking and balance exercises); and functional performance (number of steps taken per day).

CONCLUSIONS

A home-based, light-intensity exercise intervention for patients after thoracotomy for NSCLC is feasible, safe, well tolerated, and highly acceptable showing positive changes in CRF self-management.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Beginning evidence suggests that a light-intensity in-home walking and balance intervention after hospitalization for thoracotomy for NSCLC is a potentially effective rehabilitative CRF self-management intervention. Next steps include testing of this health-promoting self-management intervention in a larger-scale randomized controlled trial.

Predicted postoperative lung function is associated with all-cause long-term mortality after major lung resection for cancer

OBJECTIVES

Preoperative lung function is an independent predictor of long-term survival after lung resection for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The extent of resection has an impact on operative mortality, determines postoperative lung function and may influence both overall- and cancer-specific survival. We sought to determine the impact of predicted postoperative (ppo) lung function on long-term survival after lung cancer resection.

METHODS

We previously reported long-term survival analyses for patients who underwent major lung resection for NSCLC 1980-2006. For this study, we calculated ppo spirometry (forced expiratory volume in the first second, FEV1) and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) in the same cohort using the functional segment technique or quantitative perfusion scans when available, and updated survival data; missing data were imputed. We assessed the relationship of ppoFEV1 and ppoDLCO to long-term survival using Cox regression.

RESULTS

Of 854 patients, 471 (55%) were men, the mean age was 63 years and median survival was 42 months. At the time of analysis, 70% of patients had died. On regression analysis, all-cause mortality was related to age, stage, performance status, renal function and prior myocardial infarction. Preoperative lung function was marginally associated with mortality [DLCO (10-percentage point decrease): HR (hazard ratio) 1.04, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.00-1.08, P = 0.056; FEV1 (10-percentage point decrease): HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00-1.09, P = 0.067]. In contrast, ppo lung function was strongly associated with mortality (ppoDLCO: HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01-1.12, P = 0.024; ppoFEV1: HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.01-1.12, P = 0.031).

CONCLUSIONS

Ppo lung function is strongly associated with long-term survival after major lung resection and is more strongly related to survival than preoperative lung function. Surgeons struggle with challenging decisions about the appropriate extent of resection for early-stage cancer, balancing factors such as operative morbidity/mortality, local recurrence and postoperative quality of life. Ppo lung function and its relation to survival also should be taken into consideration during such deliberations.

Minimally invasive lung surgery and postoperative quality of life

Quality of life (QOL) after medical interventions is paramount to the patient considering treatment recommendations. To understand QOL in thoracic surgery patients, one must examine the outcomes patients prioritize (preferences) from successful surgical therapy, overall functional status of thoracic surgery patients, the literature addressing QOL after thoracic surgery (TS) and the possible benefit of minimally invasive TS, and, finally, future directions of TS postoperative QOL research. The primary focus of this article is lung cancer surgery with mention of other thoracic disease such as empyema, pneumothorax, or emphysema, as well.

The impact on quality of life after en-bloc resection for non-small-cell lung cancer involving the chest wall

BACKGROUND

  En-bloc resection for non-small cell lung cancer with chest-wall involvement may achieve a 5-year survival rate higher than 40%, but the impact on postoperative quality of life is not yet known.

METHODS

  Twenty-six patients undergoing en-bloc lung resections were included. Life quality ratings were assessed through a Short-Form 36 questionnaire preoperatively and at six, 12, 18 and 24 month follow-up visits. The degree of dyspnea, pain level, and flow-volume curves were also obtained at the same time periods. Changes occurring over time were analyzed by means of repeated-measure ANOVA.

RESULTS

  As a whole, the Physical Component Summary score declined six months postoperatively (P < 0.0001) and failed to improve thereafter. Patients with preoperative Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV₁ ), <80% predicted (P = 0.029), resected ribs >2 (P = 0.03), and chest wall defect ≥50 cm² (P = 0.007) experienced a greater and lasting impairment. Net postoperative decrease in FVC (P = 0.02; r = 0.48) and dyspnea worsening (P = 0.03; r =-043 at six months, P = 0.05; r =-0.39 at 12 months) were also correlated with the extent of physical deterioration, whereas age (P = 0.92), gender (P = 0.51), type of resection (P = 0.71), and adjuvant therapy (P = 0.68) did not. The Physical Component Summary didn't change significantly in patients with high pain levels (VAS >7). The Mental Component Summary score increased slightly at six months, with no difference in any patients' subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS

  The extent of chest wall resection, preoperative FEV₁ , and postoperative decline in FVC were the main indicators of quality of life impairment after en-bloc resection for lung cancer. The impact upon quality of life should be considered in a cost-to-benefit ratio of planning this surgery in suboptimal candidates.

Pretreatment assessment for the optimal management of early-stage lung cancer

Optimal management of non-small cell lung cancer requires treatment approach to be tailored to both the particular disease stage and the overall health and functional status of the patient. Even though surgical resection by means of an anatomic lobectomy remains the treatment of choice with the goal of cure for early-stage lung cancer, it is an invasive procedure with associated morbidity and mortality. Although these risks continue to decrease in the modern era with improvements in surgical technique and perioperative management, the risks are elevated in patients with associated medical comorbidities. As a consequence, patients at potentially increased or high risk for surgical lobectomy need to be identified by a structured preoperative assessment. This has gained increasing importance, given the emergence of alternative treatment approaches such as minimally invasive surgery, less extensive pulmonary resection, and stereotactic body radiation therapy. We review the clinical approach to suspected early-stage lung cancer based on a tumor and patient-centered stratification of risk and benefit.