Multidimensional Predictors of Functional Recovery After Curative Colon Cancer Surgery: A Patient-Reported Outcomes Study

Background: Functional status, comorbidities, and quality of life (QoL) are patient-related factors that affect QoL outcomes following curative surgery for colon cancer, although limited information exists on these factors in low- and middle-income nations. Materials and methods: It was a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study involving 402 adults who underwent curative resection in public and private hospitals in Pakistan because of colon cancer. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status was used to assess functional status, the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to assess comorbidity burden, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colon (FACT-C) to determine QoL. Correlation analysis, descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression were conducted. Results: There were strong positive correlations among all QoL domains (p < 0.05). There was a significant difference in functional well-being across age groups, with the highest score among participants aged > 60 years (p = 0.006). The smoking condition did not have any significant relationship with QoL results. Multiple linear regression revealed that physical well-being (β = 0.251), emotional well-being (β = 0.335), social well-being (β = 0.188), additional concerns (β = 0.209), and age (β = 0.096) had significant predictive value for functional well-being, explaining 38.4% of the variance. Conclusion: Physical, emotional, and social factors are significantly associated with functional well-being among patients with colon cancer following curative resection. Routine evaluation of QoL and functional status may help identify patients at risk of poorer postoperative well-being and guide tailored supportive care.