Article
Quality of life in childhood brain tumor survivors far beyond pediatric age
Search Medline for
Authors
-
F.C. Nguemaleu
- Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
-
K. Welte
- Kinderheilkunde, Niedersachsenprofessur für Molekulare Hämatopoese, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
-
H.E. Heissler
- Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
-
H. Schmid
- Abteilung Pädiatrische Hämatologie und Onkologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
-
J.K. Krauss
- Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
-
E.J. Hermann
- Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover
| Published: | June 4, 2012 |
|---|
Outline
Text
Objective: Contemporary medicine has led to an increased life expectancy in childhood brain tumor patients. Quality of life is an important and sensitive aspect when evaluating efficiency of the usually complex interdisciplinary medical treatment of these patients. In this study we analyse the quality of life of a heterogeneous group of childhood brain tumor survivors far beyond pediatric age.
Methods: The German Version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™) 4.0 Generic Core Scales, the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36®) and the “Fertigkeitenskala Münster Heidelberg” (FMH) questionnaires were sent to 198 patients registered in the Hannover Medical School to have been diagnosed with a childhood brain tumor. These were administered as follows: PedsQL Parents Report for Toddlers (ages 2–4), PedsQL Parent Reports for Young Children (ages 5–7), PedsQL Child and Parent Reports for Children (ages 8–12), PedsQL Child and Parent Reports for Teens (ages 13–18). FMH (ages 0–18), SF-36 (age >13). Results were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively.
Results: 95 patients participated in this study. 73 patients fulfilled the requirements for analysis. The age used was that at time of query. 38 patients were above 18 years of age at the time of query. The original diagnoses were: low-grade astrocytoma (n=24), high-grade astrocytoma (n=7), medulloblastoma (n=14), craniopharyngeoma (n=6), ependymoma (n=3) and others (n=19). All diagnoses were confirmed histopathologically. There was no significant difference between self-rated quality of life and parent-reported quality of life. Quality of life, however, differed significantly between those treated with surgery only and those treated with both surgery and radiochemotherapy (p=0.05). Lower quality of life was reported by patients with infratentorial and high-grade tumors. In this group, male patients scored lower than their female counterparts. The presence of hydrocephalus had a negative influence on the quality of life as well.
Conclusions: Quality of life in childhood brain tumor survivors does not depend on tumor dignity alone. Radical treatment with surgery and radiochemotherapy does not only lead to an increased life expectancy but to impairment in the quality of life of these patients. Further examinations of the role of tumor localisation, gender, age at diagnosis and age at query and preoperative status need to be performed in order to improve the understanding of these findings.
