A prospective evaluation of health‐related quality of life after skull base re‐irradiation

Abstract

Purpose: To report cancer control outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes after highly conformal skull-based re-irradiation (re-RT).Methods: Patients planned for curative intent re-RT to a recurrent or new skull base tumor were enrolled. HRQoL were assessed using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory Brain Tumor (MDASI-BT) and the anterior skull base surgery quality of life (ASBQ) questionnaires.Results: Thirty-nine patients were treated with stereotactic body RT or intensity modulated RT. Median follow-up was 14 months. Progression free survival was 71% at 1-year. There was mild clinically significant worsening of fatigue, lack of appetite and drowsiness (MDASI-BT), and physical function (ASBQ) at the end of RT, followed by recovery to baseline on subsequent follow-ups. Subjective emotions were clinically improved at 12 months, with patients reporting feeling less tense/nervous. Conclusion: Conformal skull base re-RT is associated with mild immediate deterioration in physical function followed by rapid and sustained recovery.health-related quality of life, intensity modulation, patient-reported outcomes, quality of life, re-irradiation, skull base tumor, stereotactic body radiotherapy

International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Sinonasal Tumors

“…examined longitudinal QOL via the MDASI and the ASBQ questionnaires in a cohort of SNM patients undergoing re‐irradiation. They found initial decreases in QOL at the end of treatment, but most scores returned to normal by the end of the 12‐month evaluation period 443 . In line with these findings, Fan et al.…”

“…Although several studies have assessed the role of reirradiation regimens for the treatment of local recurrences of various head and neck tumors, few are specific for recurrent SNM (Table XIII.3). 438–444 The heterogeneity of the studies in terms of tumor site, histology, and the use of reirradiation alone or as an adjuvant therapy to salvage surgery, as well as the short follow‐up, makes it difficult to draw meaningful conclusions. From the limited data available, reirradiation of local SNM recurrences appears to be feasible, but it is typically associated with a significant rate of toxicity, reaching above 20% of grade 3 or higher toxicities 439,440 .…”