title: Quality of life and physical limitations in primary brain tumor patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To correlate quality of life (QoL) and physical limitations in histological proven primary brain tumor patients using a battery of generic, disease-specific and symptom questionnaires.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients with primary brain tumors were selected from a neuro-oncology outpatient clinic. The FACT-Br Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain (specific quality of life questionnaire for patients with brain tumors), SF-36 (generic quality of life questionnaire), HADS (anxiety and depression), and Barthel Index (functionality scale) were answered by the patients at the same interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Barthel index did not demonstrate correlation with any subscale of the FACT-Br questionnaire. The HADS had a negative correlation with all FACT-Br subscales and its total score. The SF-36 had a significant weak to moderate correlation with the FACT-Br questionnaire.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering that the FACT-Br is a quick specific questionnaire, it can be a valuable and simple option in evaluating QoL in brain tumor patients with good functional capacity.
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery/Respiratory Physiotherapy Group of the Respiratory Division, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariana R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gazzotti
authors.forename: Suzana M F
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Malheiros
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Batan Alith
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Ilka Lopes
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.forename: José R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Jardim
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vidotto
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires