Swedish Esophageal and Cardia Cancer Study — SECC  

Quality of Life Clinical Trial

Official title: Swedish Esophageal and Cardia Cancer Study

Status Active, not recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

The overall objective of this nationwide Swedish project is to identify strategies that can help reduce the suffering and improve the survivorship among patients surgically treated for oesophageal cancer. This objective can be accomplished by a broad research approach that aims to:

1. describe health-related quality of life (HRQL)

2. identify risk factors and preventive actions for poor HRQL

Clinical Trial Description

This is a Swedish nationwide, prospective, and population-based cohort including 90% of all patients operated on for esophageal or gastroesophageal junctional cancer in Sweden between 1st April 2001 and 31st December 2005. Detailed clinical data were continuously collected from medical records based on a predefined study protocol to ensure uniformity. The clinical data collected included patient and tumor characteristics, treatment details, and follow-up on complications. Patients were followed up with health-related quality of life (HRQL) questionnaires. The core questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) was used to measure aspects of HRQL and symptoms that are applicable for cancer patient in general, whereas the esophageal cancer-specific module (EORTC QLQ-OES18) measured symptoms common among esophageal cancer patients. HRQL was assessed 6 months, 3, 5, 10 and 15 years after surgery while the 20-year follow-up is ongoing. All questionnaires were self-administered, delivered by mail and up to three reminders were sent if required. Collection of HRQL data was obtained anonymously (patients sent their answers to a central administration and not to the treating department). The all-cause and disease-specific mortality was assessed by linkage to the Causes of Death Registry. Informed consent was obtained from each participant. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Oesophageal Cancer
• Quality of Life
• Surgery
• Survivorship

• NCT number: NCT06031155
• Study type: Observational
• Source: Karolinska Institutet
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Start date: April 2001
• Completion date: December 2025