title: Do patients with brain metastases selected for whole brain radiotherapy have worse baseline quality of life as compared to those for radiosurgery or neurosurgery (with or without whole brain radiotherapy)?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose was to examine the baseline characteristics, symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in patients who receive different treatments for brain metastases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligible patients were divided and analysed based on their treatment: whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) alone versus stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) or neurosurgery with or without WBRT. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain (FACT-Br) items were grouped according to different domains for summary scores. The domains used for summary scores were physical, social/family, emotional, functional well-being (FWB) and additional concerns.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 120 patients were enrolled, with 37 treated with WBRT alone and 83 with SRS or neurosurgery with or without WBRT. Of the 50 baseline FACT-Br items, only five items (I feel ill; I get support from my friends; I worry about dying; I have difficulty expressing my thoughts, I am able to put my thoughts into action) were statistically worse in patients treated with WBRT alone (P<0.05). Patients who received SRS or surgery with or without WBRT had statistically (P<0.05) higher scores for the FWB domain, additional concerns domain, and FACT-G total scores, indicating better QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients selected for WBRT alone reported statistically different baseline QOL as compared to patients who were treated with SRS or neurosurgery (with or without WBRT).
authors: Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Ronald
authors: R
authors: Chow
authors: Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: May
authors: M
authors: Tsao
authors: Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Natalie
authors: N
authors: Pulenzas
authors: Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Liying
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Arjun
authors: A
authors: Sahgal
authors: Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Cella
authors: Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Hany
authors: H
authors: Soliman
authors: Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Cyril
authors: C
authors: Danjoux
authors: Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: DeAngelis
authors: Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors: Sherlyn
authors: S
authors: Vuong
authors: Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada. edward.chow@sunnybrook.ca.
authors: Edward
authors: E
authors: Chow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D016371:Cranial Irradiation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: FACT-Br; Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT); brain metastases; quality of life (QOL); stereotactic surgery