Study of quality of life in brain tumor patients treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy.

Abstract

2091 Background: Quality of life (QOL) is becoming universal tool for assessing health outcome measures in clinical arenas including oncology and gaining relevance with advent of novel therapies and better care. This study is an attempt to find answers in the brain tumour population here and their response to RT in terms of HRQOL. Methods: 25 patients with brain tumours, post-op, were enrolled in this study and treated with 3DCRT. The patients took a baseline QOL questionnaire based on the Medical Outcomes Survey SF-36 before RT. The patients were monitored during the course of treatment and assessed 4 weeks following completion of RT and retook QOL questionnaire. The baseline and follow-up QOL SF-36 scores were analysed using paired-samples T test. Results: The median age of the study population was 35. 10 patients had high-grade gliomas, 9 had low-grade gliomas, 6 had non-glial tumours. There was significant improvement (p < 0.001) in physical component summary (PCS), mental component summary (MCS) (p < 0.001) as well as all sub components, physical functioning (PF), role physical (RP), bodily pain (BP), general health (GH),vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), role emotional (RE), and mental health (MH) in the total study group. In patients with high-grade gliomas (n = 10), there was significant improvement in PCS (p < 0.001), MCS (p < 0.011), PF (p < 0.012), RP (p < 0.024), BP (p < 0.004), GH (p < 0.04), VT (p < 0.042), SF (p < 0.001), MH (p < 0.008). There was no significant improvement in RE (p < 0.138). Patients with low-grade gliomas had significant improvement in PCS (p < 0.002), MCS (p < 0.008), PF (p < 0.048), RP (p < 0.001), BP (p < 0.009), GH (p < 0.005), VT (p < 0.012), SF (p < 0.05), RE (0.002), MH (p < 0.003). Patients with non-glial tumours showed significant improvement in RE (0.042), MH (p < 0.03). Conclusions: HRQOL parameters showed statistically significant improvement. Parameters not included in the SF-36 are sleeping adequacy, cognitive functioning, etc though it indirectly analyses all these components. There is a need for prospective, controlled studies to assess baseline and serial QOL studies in brain tumour patients and correlation with factors not included in SF-36 following treatment to plan and modify interventions. No significant financial relationships to disclose.