Health-related quality of life among paediatric survivors of primary brain tumours and acute leukaemia.
OBJECTIVE
Comparative assessment of the HRQL of paediatric survivors of brain tumours (BT) and of acute leukaemia against a population of their healthy peers.


METHODS
The study consisted of patients who had completed treatment for BT (n=36) or acute leukaemia (n=35) and were aged between 8 and 19. Healthy children (n=60) were selected from among pupils of schools. HRQL was evaluated directly and indirectly on the basis of the Polish language version of the PedsQLTM 4.0 Generic Core scales. The influence of selected factors (sex, age, time from the end of treatment and type of treatment) on the HRQL result was analysed.


RESULTS
In all the aspects analysed (total, physical, psychosocial, emotional, social and school functioning), the HRQL of BT and leukaemia survivors was significantly lower in comparison to their healthy peers. The HRQL of patients after BT treatment was also significantly lower than that of the survivors of leukaemia. The parent-proxy reported HRQL was consistent with the children's selfassessment. Patients treated with radiotherapy presented a significantly lower evaluation of life quality in the physical sphere.


CONCLUSIONS
Evaluation of HRQL should be treated as an additional independent parameter in an assessment of the long-term results of oncological treatment.
Pogorzala
Monika
M
Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, ul. Curie-Skłodowskiej 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland. m.pogorzala@cm.umk.pl
Styczynski
Jan
J
Kurylak
Andrzej
A
Debski
Robert
R
Wojtkiewicz
Magdalena
M
Wysocki
Mariusz
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult