Health-Related Quality of Life in Brain Tumor Patients Treated with Surgery: Preliminary Result of a Single Institution

BACKGROUND: Alongside the extent of removal and patients’ survival in the management of brain tumors, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has become an important consideration. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the change of HRQOL in brain tumor patients before and after surgery and to assess the associated factors that contribute to the change of HRQOL. METHODS: A total of 258 patients who underwent surgical treatment were enrolled in this study. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the 20-item EORTC QLQ-Brain Neoplasm (QLQ-BN20) were used to assess HRQOL. Patients were asked to fill out the questionnaires before and 3-6 months after surgery. RESULTS: Global QOL (p<0.001) and emotional function (p<0.018) were significantly improved after surgery. Physical function (p=0.015) was significantly aggravated. Among the symptoms, headache, pain and nausea and vomiting were significantly decreased (p<0.01, p=0.041, p<0.001, respectively), while dyspnea, communication deficit and weakness of the legs were increased (p=0.005, p=0.040, and p=0.014, respectively). Preoperative neurologic deficit (p=0.019) and tumor diameter (p=0.016) were significantly related to the patients who showed aggravation of global QOL after brain tumor surgery. In the aggravated global QOL group, common complaints and concerns included role function, appetite loss, financial difficulty and future uncertainty. CONCLUSION: In brain tumor patients, HRQOL has improved after surgery. Role function, appetite loss, financial difficulty and future uncertainty were important factors for HRQOL in brain tumor patients treated with surgery. Although there is National Health Insurance and Medical Aid program in Korea, financial difficulty and future uncertainty are much more important in influencing QOL than previously thought. The results of this short-term follow up preliminary study suggest that several factors were related to HRQOL, Further research is needed to evaluate the long term change of HRQOL and enhance the global QOL by analyze related factors.