The Association Between Postoperative Recovery and Psychosocial Factors in Cancer Patients

Surgery is one of the main treatments component against cancer. Although the basic principle of surgical treatment of cancer is curability, safety, and functionality, early recovery after surgery is also important. While some previous studies focus on physical recovery, there are few studies regarding the perioperative period of cancer patients and their impact on postoperative recovery. This study is aim to clarify psychosocial factors that affect postoperative recovery in cancer patients. The study design is a secondary data analysis of a prospective observational cohort study whose primary purpose was to investigate whether preoperative anxiety predicted onset of postoperative delirium in cancer patients at the National Cancer Center Hospital in Japan. The primary outcome of this study was the length of postoperative hospital stay, and the secondary outcome was postoperative complications. We conducted multivariable regression analysis to determine psychosocial predictors of primary and secondary outcomes. The final analysis included 109 patients. The mean length of postoperative hospital stay was 23.4 (SD = 12.4) days and the incidence rate of postoperative complications was 32.1%. In multivariable regression, preoperative anxiety was positively associated with the length of postoperative hospital stay, while sex (female) and alcohol dependence showed a negative association. Cognitive function was marginally associated with postoperative complications. In conclusion, Appropriate management of preoperative anxiety contributes to early discharge after surgery in cancer patients.