Quality of Life in Patients with Stomach Cancer after a Curative Resection: The validity and availability of WHOQOL-BREF

ABSTRACT

PUPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the validity of WHOQOL-BREF (Brief form of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument) and to explore quality of life (QOL) by using WHOQOL-BREF in patients with stomach cancer after a curative resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty (50) patients with stomach cancer after a curative resection were recruited with informed consents. Age- and gender matched hospital staffs served as controls. The 100-item WHOQOL instrument was employed for the all subjects. The scores of the WHOQOL-BREF, which is a short version (26 questions) of the WHOQOL, and includes four domains (physical, psychological, social, and environmental), were compared with those of WHOQOL. RESULTS: The scores of the WHOQOL-BREF were significantly correlated with those of the WHOQOL in all domains. Two domains, physical and social, were associated with worse quality of life in patients with stomach cancer after a curative resection. CONCLUSION: The WHOQOL-BREF is a valid instrument that is useful for evaluating the quality of life in patients with stomach cancer.