gms | German Medical Science

Objective: Malignant intracranial tumors are often associated with high rates of anxiety and/or depression and reduced health related quality of life. In this study we were interested in the coherence between psychoongological distress and health related quality of life.

Method: Patients, who were electively admitted for surgery of intracranial lesions were screened for their psychooncological distress using two self-assessment instruments (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Distress Thermometer (DT)) and one external assessment questionnaire (Psychooncological base documentation (PO-Bado). Results were correlated with the subscales future uncertainty and global health of EORTC QLQ-C30-BN20 questionnaire.

Results: Since October 2013, 489 neurosurgical patients were screened for their psychooncological treatment demand. In 228 patients (161 patients with malignant cerebral lesions, 67 patients with benign lesions) screening was positive. Data from 162 of these patients could be correlated with the EORTC QLQ-C30-BN20. A reduced global health and higher rates of future uncertainty are found in 110 patients (67.9%) compared to 19.6% of all patients (n= 39) with unremarkable psychooncological screening.

Comparison of patients with malignant vs. benign lesions demonstrated a reduced global health and a higher rate of future uncertainty in 70.9% and 29.09%, respectively.

Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that psychooncological distress is accompanied by a reduced quality of life and more future uncertainty. Patients with positive psychooncological screening also demonstrated conspicuous findings in the EORTC QLQ-C30-BN20 questionnaire, especially when affected by a malignant disease.