Assessment of clinical and nonclinical characteristics associated with health-related quality of life in patients with high-grade gliomas: a feasibility study

Abstract

Purpose Results from several studies suggest that there is value in evaluating the association between nonclinical characteristics of patients and quality of life (QoL), but few studies have focused on brain cancer. The primary goal of this feasibility study was to explore the relationship between clinical factors and nonclinical factors and QoL in brain cancer patients. Methods Participants in this cross-sectional study were drawn from two hospital sites. Eligible patients were 18–75 years old with a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of a brain cancer histology and stable disease after treatment. Data were obtained from medical chart review and a self-administered survey consisting of main study variables and two QoL standardized measures. Independent sample t test was used to determine differences between patient factors and QoL measures. Results The sample population was comprised of 26 patients with a median age at survey of 57.5 years (range 33–72). Quality of life was adversely associated with younger age, having underage children and living alone. Patients’ meaning of QoL differed by gender, however most patients viewed it as affecting multiple aspects of their lives. Conclusions Nonclinical characteristics were significantly associated with QoL more often than clinical characteristics. Identifying these factors may help improve the quality of care for these patients. This effort demonstrates the relevancy and feasibility of conducting a larger scale study to confirm or refute these findings.

Health-related quality of life and psychological functioning in patients with primary malignant brain tumors: a systematic review of clinical, demographic and mental health factors

“…41,45 Education Patients with greater levels of formal education were found to report significantly greater HRQoL in two studies than patients with less education, 40,41 yet no significant difference was present in a further 3 studies. 39,42,44 Greater previous education was also found to relate significantly to reduced distress, 33,41 but not anxiety. 33…”

“…No effect of ethnicity was found for anxiety, 33 distress, 14 depression, 33 or HRQoL. 42 Litofsky et al demonstrated a significant role of ethnicity for levels of physician-reported depression, 20 although findings were highly skewed by small numbers of nonwhite participants.…”

“…Two studies demonstrated that patients who were married or in a relationship reported significantly greater HRQoL than those single 42 or divorced. 44 A further study demonstrated that married patients experienced greater depression and lower anxiety than nonmarried patients, 35 however findings were not evidenced statistically.…”

The Effect of Perceived Parental Rearing Behaviors on Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescents with Leukemia

“…Some studies have reported that individual and health-related characteristics such as age and time since diagnosis are associated with HQOL in adolescents with cancer (Lee, Han, & Park, 2013; Porter, Menon, & Vick, 2014). However, in this study, those factors showed no significant relationship with the HQOL of adolescents with leukemia.…”

Factors affecting the self-rated health of elderly individuals living alone: a cross-sectional study

“…The increase in the number of elderly individuals is a recognized social concern, and in recent years, there have been several studies regarding elderly individuals living alone. However, most of these examined quality of life [ 4 – 6 ], the prognosis of illness or impairment [ 7 ], or gender differences [ 8 , 9 ]. Although aging cannot be prevented, better understanding by local residents can help them feel healthy despite functional deterioration and some diseases.…”