Assessment of quality of life in patients after surgery for pancreatic and periampullary malignancies. Systematic review

   Aim. To analyze the current methods of life quality assessment in patients undergoing surgical treatment for pancreatic and periampullary cancer, to study the influence of surgical treatment and postoperative complications on the quality of life.   Materials and methods. The study involves a systematic review of the literature available in MEDLINE, Embase and e-Library electronic databases for 2015–2022. The methodology of the systematic review is reflected in the study protocol, designed according to PRISMA guidelines.   Results. The systematic review embraces 26 studies including 4937 patients met the inclusion criteria. The present study examines design and objectives, survey forms, methods of surgical interventions and drug treatment, survey frequency and data collection methodology, risk of systematic error, etc.   Conclusion. When choosing a survey form, most authors favored EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-PAN26. Even the most complex surgeries such as pancreaticoduodenal resection and pancreatectomy can provide a satisfactory quality of life. Many current studies appear methodologically-challenged thereby increasing the risk of systematic error and reducing the reliability of the data. The quality of life of patients in this category is to be further investigated, the optimal principles and methodology of such studies are to be standardized, in particular, in Russian healthcare system.