 In the single centre SOCQER study, baseline EORTC QLC30 mean scores were 58.33 SD 21.6 in the standard surgery group n32 and 63.1 SD 25.6 in the extensive surgery group, figures broadly in line with the EORTC manual. The maximum difference between groups was 6 points in favour of the extensive surgery group 6 weeks postsurgery with smaller differences in favour of the standard surgery group at 3, 6 and 9 months. Although these differences did not at any point reach the suggested level for an evidence based medium sized difference in quality of life, given this is a single centre study which may incur selection bias between groups and there were some differences in stage and residual disease between groups, a study powered detection of a medium sized, rather than a small difference remains appropriate. Standard deviations are higher in this study than in the Greimal trial which in part may result from sample variation. Symptom scores however did show some differences which did not reach statistical significance in a mixed model, with a score higher poorer outcome of 35.0 SD 17.0 in the extensive surgery group and 25.0 SD 17 in the standard surgery group. While symptom score should be considered secondary to quality of life, a sample size of 129 on the same assumptions as above would be adequate to demonstrate this difference plus additional allowance for dropout. 