Quality of life and symptoms in pediatric brain tumor survivors: a systematic review

Abstract

Little is known about the quality of life of children and youth under the age of 20 who have completed treatment for a pediatric brain tumor. This systematic review was conducted to (a) describe the health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes in pediatric brain tumor survivors, (b) identify instruments used to measure HRQL, and (c) determine the relationship between symptoms and HRQL. Using a systematic search and review methodology, databases searched included CINAHL, Medline, Embase, and PsycInfo. No date restrictions were used. Search results elicited 485 articles, of which16 met the inclusion criteria. Compared with their healthy peers, pediatric brain tumor survivors did worse on most measures of physical, psychosocial, social, and cognitive domains of HRQL. Compared with other cancer patients, survivors scored themselves significantly lower on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) social functioning scale, and parents of brain tumor survivors reported lower PedsQL social and total functioning scores for their children. Other variables that were associated with decreased HRQL were degree of hypothalamic tumor involvement, osteopenia, need for special education, older age at diagnosis, greater than 1 year since treatment, and radiation treatment. In these studies, pediatric brain tumor survivors fared worse compared with other cancer survivors or healthy peers on several HRQL domains. Only 3 studies explored the relationship between symptoms, including pain or fatigue, and HRQL in pediatric brain tumor survivors. The relationship between symptoms and HRQL was not well elucidated. More research is needed to explore the multidimensional symptom experience and HRQL outcomes in pediatric brain tumor survivors.

Keywords: brain tumor; pediatric; quality of life; survivors; symptoms; systematic review.