Pediatric low-grade glioma survivors experience high quality of life

Childs Nerv Syst. 2011 Nov;27(11):1895-902. doi: 10.1007/s00381-011-1467-0. Epub 2011 May 3.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine pediatric low-grade glioma survivors' quality of life and late morbidity including motor, sensory, and cognitive deficits.

Methods: We surveyed 49 survivors and their parents (KINDL questionnaire).

Results: Despite tumor and treatment-associated morbidity, survivors (25 boys and 24 girls, median age at diagnosis 7.8 years), but not their parents, rated their total quality of life higher than their peers. Although all survivors had some late morbidity, half of them were able to conduct their daily lives without restriction.

Conclusion: These results reflect survivors' effective coping mechanisms and underscore the difficulties of assessing quality of life in pediatric populations.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Brain Neoplasms / complications*
  • Brain Neoplasms / psychology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Disability Evaluation
  • Female
  • Glioma / complications*
  • Glioma / psychology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Quality of Life* / psychology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Survivors / psychology
  • Survivors / statistics & numerical data*