The Impact Of Primary Treatment Strategy On Vestibular Schwannoma Patient Quality Of Life.

The Impact Of Primary Treatment Strategy On Vestibular Schwannoma Patient Quality Of Life.

World Neurosurg. 2017 Mar 08;:

Authors: Foley RW, Maweni RM, Jaafar H, McConn Walsh R, Javadpour M, Rawluk D

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of life (QoL) in a representative sample of vestibular schwannoma patients and to ascertain the differences in outcomes associated with distinct management strategies.
PATIENTS & METHODS: Vestibular Schwannoma patients attending a tertiary referral centre were asked to complete the FACT-Br Questionnaire, which assesses QoL in five domains: physical, social, emotional and functional and a brain cancer specific domain. Results were analysed in the overall cohort and in surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery and conservative management subgroups. The relationship between patient clinical characteristics and QoL outcome was also analysed by univariable and multivariable logistic regression.
RESULTS: There were 83 survey respondents with an average age of participants of 57 years and a mean follow up of 4.9 years. QoL was statistically significantly lower in the surgery subgroup within the Physical QoL domain (p=0.039). However there was no significant difference in overall QoL between the three subgroups of surgery, radiosurgery and conservative management (p=0.17). A poor QoL outcome was associated with the number of symptoms at diagnosis, greater tumour size and a surgical management strategy.
CONCLUSIONS: The QoL within this patient cohort was extremely variable in each management group, mirroring the heterogeneous natural history of this disease process. QoL in vestibular schwannoma patients cannot be predicted based on management strategy alone but a poor QoL outcome is more likely in patients with larger, symptomatic tumours that are surgically treated.

PMID: 28284966 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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