Recovery and Rehabilitation After Lung Cancer Surgery

• Key measures that will be the focus of the study is Quality of life. [ Time Frame: 1 year with 5 measurement points ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Data will be collecetd using the self administered questionnaire: EORTC QLQ-C30 + LC13
  
  

• The total burden of symptoms will be one key measures in this observational study. [ Time Frame: one year with 5 measuresments ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  The self administered questionnaire: Memorial Assessment scale (MSAS) Key measures that will be used to evaluate the intervention(s) or, for observational studies, that are a focus of the study.
  
  
• A key measure to measure fatigue will be used. [ Time Frame: one year with five measurements points ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  The self administered questionnaire: Lee Fatigue Scale, LFS. Key measures that will be used to evaluate the intervention(s) or, for observational studies, that are a focus of the study.
  
  
• A key measures to measure sleep disturbances will be used. [ Time Frame: One year with five measurements points ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  A questionnaire: General sleep disturbances scale (GSDS). Key measures that will be used to evaluate the intervention(s) or, for observational studies, that are a focus of the study.
  
  
• A key measures will be used to evaluate social support [ Time Frame: One year with two measurements points ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  The self administered questionnaire: Social Provision Scale. Key measures that will be used to evaluate the intervention(s) or, for observational studies, that are a focus of the study.
  
  
• A self administered questionnaire to measure Anxiety [ Time Frame: One year with five measurements points ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  The self administered questionnaire: State and trait anxiety (STAI). Key measures that will be used to evaluate the intervention(s) or, for observational studies, that are a focus of the study.
  
  
• A self administered questionnaire to measure pain [ Time Frame: one year with five measurements points ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  The self administered questionnaire: Brief Pain Inventory. Key measures that will be used to evaluate the intervention(s) or, for observational studies, that are a focus of the study.
  
  
• Depression is a key measure [ Time Frame: One year with five measurements points ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  The self administered questionnaire: Self-report depression scale (CES-D). Key measures that will be used to evaluate the intervention(s) or, for observational studies, that are a focus of the study.
  
  
• One key measures that will be used to evaluate stigma related to having lung cancer in this observational study. [ Time Frame: 1 year with one measurements points ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Data will be collected using the self administered questionnaire: Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale (CLCSS)
  
  

Approximately 2500 patients are diagnosed with lung cancer annually i Norway, and approximately 400 of these undergo surgery. Many patients report that life after lung cancer surgery is difficult. After surgery, the patients are frequently transferred to a local hospital or to another level of care at the hospital where they were operated. The transfer is critical for patients' safety because communication failure is one of the most common causes of medical error.

Studies that have analyzed the quality of life of lung cancer patients after surgery reach different conclusions about the patients' Quality of life (QOL), some studies state that lung cancer patients are back to normal quality of life after 9 months, while others indicate that the patients still have reduced QOL two years after surgery. It is difficult to assess the reason for the differences in results as most of the studies used the same QOL questionnaire. Studies that have evaluated the social support that lung cancer patients receive indicate that lung cancer patients receive less support than other cancer patients.

Lung cancer patients have a wide range of physical problems (fatigue, dyspnea, coughing and pain) and psychological (depression) problems following surgery.

Based on findings from this literature review a need exist for improved postoperative follow-up of patients after surgery for lung cancer The proposed study will evaluate the social support, the levels of lung cancer stigma, symptoms and changes in this over time as well as evaluate patient experience with transfer in the immediate postoperative period.