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

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.