Impact of brain tumor and its treatment on the physical and psychological well-being, and quality of life amongst pediatric brain tumor survivors

Purpose: Compelling evidence has shown that pediatric brain tumor survivors are more susceptible to physical, neurocognitive, and psychological sequelae. This study assessed the impact of cancer and its treatment on the physical and psychological well-being, and quality of life of Hong Kong Chinese pediatric brain tumor survivors.

Methods: A total of 157 pediatric cancer survivors aged 8-16 were recruited. Of whom, 77 were pediatric brain tumor survivors and 80 were survivors of other cancers. Participants' depressive symptoms, level of self-esteem and quality of life were assessed. Additionally, 16 pediatric brain tumor survivors were randomly selected for a semi-structured interview.

Results: More than 70% pediatric brain tumor survivors presented significant number of depressive symptoms. Moreover, findings indicated that greater symptoms of depression in survivors were associated with lower level of self-esteem and quality of life. Qualitative interviews revealed that brain tumor and its treatment posed negative impact on the multiple domains of their daily life.

Conclusion: The findings of this study has addressed the literature gap by showing pediatric brain tumors have poorer psychological well-being, in terms of greater number of depressive symptoms, lower levels of self-esteem, and more severely compromised quality of life than survivors of other pediatric cancers. It is vital for healthcare professionals to develop and evaluate appropriate interventions with the aims to enhance the psychological well-being and quality of life among pediatric brain tumor survivors.