Yaneva Marianna P, Semerdjieva Maria A
Department of Radiotherapy with RID sector, Department of Social Medicine and Health Care Management, University Hospital "St.George", Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
Folia Med (Plovdiv). 2006;48(2):23-9.
Assessment of quality of life (QOL) is of crucial importance when assigning palliative radiotherapy of brain metastases in cancer patients.
To investigate the influence of whole brain radiotherapy on brain symptoms in patients with cerebral metastases; to evaluate their quality of life before and after radiation therapy using the EORTC-QOL-C30 questionnaire, as well as its influence on patients' survival.
Sixty-five patients with various locations of the primary tumor and brain metastases were included in this study. All of them underwent radiotherapy with cobalt unit. The realized dose of the whole brain was above 30 Gy: 10 x 3 Gy or 15 x 2 Gy. The patients filled in the EORTC-QOL-C30 questionnaire before radiation, at the end of the radiotherapeutic course and a month after it. Clinical characteristics of patients before and after radiotherapy were compared and assessed. All patients were treated with radiotherapy and concurrent corticosteroid treatment.
The mean age of the patients was 53 +/- 7.8 years and the median survival was 6.6 months for lung cancer patients and 9.8 months for breast cancer patients. Each EORTC-QOL-C30 questionnaire assessed the patients in three main aspects: functional aspects, general symptoms and global health. Improvement was reported (p < 0.001) for functional indicators and health related quality of life (HRQOL). Several symptoms did not change significantly--financial difficulties, dyspnea and diarrhea.
Whole brain radiation of cancer patients with cerebral metastases is very well tolerated. Side effects are frequently met and can be compensated by applying steroids. The assessment of quality of life gives information on patients' improvement which is more substantial in functioning, symptoms and global health. This study is a precondition for future investigations of the effect of whole brain radiation on cancer patients' quality of life.
在为癌症患者分配脑转移瘤姑息性放射治疗时，生活质量（QOL）评估至关重要。
研究全脑放疗对脑转移瘤患者脑症状的影响；使用欧洲癌症研究与治疗组织生活质量核心问卷（EORTC-QOL-C30）评估放疗前后患者的生活质量及其对患者生存的影响。
本研究纳入65例原发肿瘤和脑转移瘤位于不同部位的患者。所有患者均接受钴单元放疗。全脑实际照射剂量超过30 Gy：10次×3 Gy或15次×2 Gy。患者在放疗前、放疗疗程结束时及放疗后1个月填写EORTC-QOL-C30问卷。比较并评估放疗前后患者的临床特征。所有患者均接受放疗及同时使用皮质类固醇治疗。
患者的平均年龄为53±7.8岁，肺癌患者的中位生存期为6.6个月，乳腺癌患者为9.8个月。EORTC-QOL-C30问卷从三个主要方面评估患者：功能方面、一般症状和整体健康状况。功能指标和健康相关生活质量（HRQOL）有改善（p<0.001）。一些症状没有明显变化——经济困难、呼吸困难和腹泻。
脑转移瘤癌症患者对全脑放疗耐受性良好。副作用常见，可通过应用类固醇进行补偿。生活质量评估提供了患者在功能、症状和整体健康方面改善的信息。本研究为未来研究全脑放疗对癌症患者生活质量的影响奠定了基础。
