Effectiveness of the Gerdq Questionnaire for Diagnosing Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease After Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common complication after esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction. The GerdQ questionnaire was developed for diagnosing GERD in primary care patients. Its effectiveness in patients after esophagectomy remains unknown. In this study, we evaluated the usefulness of the GerdQ questionnaire for diagnosing GERD after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

Materials and methods: A total of 124 patients with esophageal cancer underwent right transthoracic esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction between January 2010 and December 2016. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and 24-hour esophageal pH-metry were performed at 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively. The GerdQ questionnaire was administered at the same postoperative time points. We assessed any correlation between the GerdQ scores and the endoscopy and pH-metry findings.

Results: The incidence rates of GERD at 1 month, 1 year and 2 years post-surgery were 31.6%, 46.9%, and 49.2%, respectively. The GerdQ questionnaire showed 77% sensitivity and 56% specificity for diagnosing GERD at 2 years after esophagectomy when the cutoff point was 7. However, the optimal cutoff points were different at each postoperative time, and the scores showed some imbalance between sensitivity and specificity. Regurgitation may be a useful indicator, as the frequency of regurgitation was significantly higher in patients with GERD than in patients without GERD at 1 year (P = 0.046) and 2 years postoperatively (P = 0.048).

Conclusion: The GerdQ questionnaire is not a useful diagnostic tool for GERD in patients who have undergone esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.