Introduction:

Surgical treatment for gastric cancer involves adaptations to a new lifestyle associated to limitations that generate a burden.

Objectives:

To determine the profile and burden in adults with gastric cancer who have undergone gastrectomy in an oncology institution of Bogotá.

Materials and methods:

Quantitative cross-sectional study that included 60 patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy, mostly men of low socioeconomic strata and minimum schooling level, with an average age of 56.33 years. A characterization survey and burden of disease as instrument were used for the patients.

Results:

Advanced gastric adenocarcinoma and total gastrectomy, as the surgery of choice that generates the greatest burden, are predominant. High emotional load is reflected as anguish, sadness, uncertainty and low physical burden due to symptoms such as gastrointestinal discomfort, exhaustion and weakness. Economic difficulties and the alteration of the work role create a socio-familial and cultural burden. There is an inverse and statistically significant correlation between the functional status of the patient and exhaustion, fatigue, alteration of balance and sleep disorders.

Conclusions:

Survivors of gastric cancer present an emotional, socio-familial and cultural burden after grastostomy that needs to be addressed.

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