Symptom associations during early recovery after pancreatic cancer surgery: an exploratory cross-sectional network analysis.

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing pancreatic cancer surgery often experience multiple symptoms during early recovery, but the structural relationships among these symptoms remain unclear.

METHODS

A cross-sectional network analysis was conducted on 213 patients after pancreatic cancer surgery. Symptoms during the first postoperative week were retrospectively assessed on day 7 using the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory gastrointestinal cancer module. Symptom prevalence, severity, centrality, bridge strength, and network stability were examined.

RESULTS

Of the 22 symptoms, 17 occurred in more than 30% of patients. The most prevalent symptoms were lack of appetite, disturbed sleep, distress, pain, and fatigue. Lack of appetite, vomiting, and fatigue had the highest mean severity scores. Within the symptom network, vomiting, distress, and sweating showed the highest strength centrality, with vomiting occupying the most central position. Swelling, fatigue, and irritability showed relatively high bridge strength. The correlation stability coefficient for strength was 0.516.

CONCLUSIONS

Symptoms were common but generally mild during the first postoperative week. Network analysis provided a structured description of symptom associations and may inform future longitudinal studies on postoperative symptom trajectories and patient-centered outcomes.