Effects of a self-care education program on quality of life of patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy.

Background: Gastrectomy affects different aspects of functionality and impacts on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with gastric cancer. The importance of appropriate assessment of QoL in cancer patients is well established, yet strategies that help improve this important patient outcome are relatively scarce.

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of a brief self-care education program to improve QoL of gastric cancer patients after gastrectomy.