OBJECTIVE Traditionally, the dominant (usually left) cerebral hemisphere is regarded as the more important one, and everyday clinical decisions are influenced by this view. However, reported results on the impact of lesion laterality are inconsistent in the scarce literature on quality of life (QOL) in patients with brain tumors. The authors aimed to study which cerebral hemisphere is the most important to patients with intracranial tumors with respect to health-related QOL (HRQOL). METHODS Two hundred forty-eight patients with unilateral, unifocal gliomas or meningiomas scheduled for primary surgery were included in this prospective cohort study. Generic HRQOL was measured using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire preoperatively and after 4-6 weeks. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of data were performed. RESULTS Tumor volumes were significantly larger in right-sided tumors at diagnosis, and language or speech problems were more common in left-sided lesions. Otherwise, no differences existed in baseline data. The median EQ-5D-3L index was 0.73 (range -0.24 to 1.00) in patients with right-sided tumors and 0.76 (range -0.48 to 1.00) in patients with left-sided tumors (p = 0.709). Due to the difference in tumor volumes at baseline, histopathology and tumor volumes were matched in 198 patients. EQ-5D-3L index scores in this 1:1 matched analysis were 0.74 (range -0.7 to 1.00) for patients with right-sided and 0.76 (range -0.48 to 1.00) for left-sided lesions (p = 0.342). In the analysis of longitudinal data, no association was found between tumor laterality and postoperative EQ-5D-3L index scores (p = 0.957) or clinically significant change in HRQOL following surgery (p = 0.793). CONCLUSIONS In an overall patient-reported QOL perspective, tumor laterality does not appear to be of significant importance for generic HRQOL in patients with intracranial tumors. This may imply that right-sided cerebral functions are underestimated by clinicians.
At group level, development of generic QoL between baseline and 1 and 6 months postoperatively seems to follow the natural disease trajectories of LGG and HGG, with deterioration in patients with HGG at 6 months. Individual development of QoL is heterogeneous. HGG, resection grades other than gross total resection, and preoperative comorbidity are predictors of postoperative impairment of QoL.
Duration of surgery together with comorbidity and acquired neurological deficits is an independent risk factor for extracranial complications after brain tumor surgery. Duration of surgery is also associated with surgical site infections. Knowledge about the potential harm of slow surgery should be of interest to neurosurgeons when deciding on various surgical approaches, surgical tools or providing training. Also if acquiring ethical approval or informed consent in technical research projects, the risks associated with prolonging brain surgery should be considered. Special consideration should be warranted in patients with significant comorbidity, planned long surgery and higher risk of acquiring neurological deficits after surgery.
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