NQPC-6 CHANGE ON STANDING OF HEALTH RELATED QOL IN BRAIN TUMOR AND STROKE PATIENTS ON A VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PROGRAM

INTRODUCTION: It is important for brain tumor and stroke patients to evaluate not only prognosis but also health related QOL (HRQoL). In this study, we have evaluated HRQoL and reviewed the related factors to improve HRQoL through in hospital to after discharge. METHODS: One hundred-eighteen brain tumor (n=21) and stroke patients (n=97) of one hundred-thirty-one patients in our vocational rehabilitation program were enrolled. We evaluated HRQoL using EORTC QLQ-C30/BN-20 on admission, pre- and six months after discharge and examined the influence factor. RESULTS: In QLQ-C30 assessment on admission, although physical functioning (F), role F, social F and financial difficulties were lower than borderline, improved up to the standard healthy level by discharge. While future uncertainty score in BN-20 improved from 40points (p) to 30p, that has averaged higher value of 49p to 47p in brain tumor patients. On an individual basis, the score of 30% of global health status cases, 9% of physical F, 37% of financial F and 18% of future uncertainty deteriorated during the course of hospitalization significantly. While scores of all categories in stroke patients were improved, those of emotional F (-15.4p), social F (-14.3%), pain (+10.5p) and insomnia (+21.2p) in brain tumor patients were deteriorated, the tendency of which was especially prominent in malignant brain tumor. KPS and motor FIM in brain tumor patients correlated to physical F, and mRS and motor FIM in stroke to functioning scale strongly, to symptom scale moderately. CONCLUSION: QOL evaluation can reveal the HRQoL deterioration in patients hard to detect the symptom. Appropriate intervention is needed because some cases deteriorate on an individual basis, especially brain tumor patients while HRQoL has almost improved with time. Rehabilitation therapy could contribute to HRQoL improvement because that strongly correlates to examination data of motor function.