Clinical Scorecard: Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life in 62 Patients with Diffuse Low-Grade Glioma During a Non-Treatment and Stable Phase: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

At a Glance

Key Highlights

• LGG patients experience significant cognitive and emotional dysfunction despite stable disease and non-treatment phase.
• Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) encompasses multidimensional aspects including physical, emotional, cognitive, social functions, and treatment side effects.
• Psychological distress, fatigue, depression, and anxiety are common and influenced by tumor, treatment, and socio-psychological factors.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

• Confirm LGG diagnosis histopathologically and molecularly (IDH status, 1p19q codeletion).
• Assess disease stability using clinical and radiological criteria (RANO).

Management

• Multimodal treatment approach including surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and radiotherapy aimed at delaying progression while preserving HRQoL.
• During non-treatment stable phases, focus on maintaining HRQoL and managing psychological distress.

Monitoring & Follow-up

• Regular clinical follow-up with HRQoL assessment using validated tools (EORTC QLQ-C30, BN20, HADS).
• Monitor cognitive, emotional, and physical symptoms including fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances.

Risks

• Progression to high-grade glioma with associated mortality.
• Long-term treatment side effects impacting HRQoL such as cognitive impairment, fatigue, and psychological distress.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Adults with stable, progression-free diffuse low-grade glioma in non-treatment phase

Treatment aims to delay progression and preserve quality of life; HRQoL assessment critical to guide supportive care during stable phases.

Clinical Best Practices

• Use validated HRQoL questionnaires (EORTC QLQ-C30, BN20, HADS) for comprehensive assessment.
• Consider psychological and social factors alongside tumor and treatment characteristics when evaluating HRQoL.
• Address fatigue, anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction proactively during follow-up.
• Interpret HRQoL scores with reference to normative populations and minimal clinically meaningful differences.
• Engage patients in self-assessment to capture subjective HRQoL during non-therapeutic periods.

References

• RANO criteria for response assessment in neuro-oncology
• EORTC QLQ-C30 and BN20 questionnaires
• Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)
• Minimal clinically meaningful differences in glioma patients