Determinants of quality of life outcomes for survivors of pediatric brain tumors.

Introduction: To describe the quality of life (QOL) of pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTSs) prospectively and to identify potential medical, personal and family contextual factors associated with QOL.

Methods: Ninety-one PBTSs (8-16 years) who were off treatment and attending a regular classroom participated. Self- and caregiver-proxy-reported on QOL at baseline, 2 and 8 months. At baseline, cognitive, executive function, attention and memory, medical and demographics information were attained.

Results: Significant improvements over time in PBTS's emotional QOL were self- and proxy-reported (P < 0.01) and global QOL proxy-reported (P = 0.04). Receiving cranial irradiation therapy (CIT) and poor behavioral regulation predicted poor global QOL scores reported by both informants (P < 0.017). Poor behavioral regulation also predicted poor self-reported school functioning, and poor proxy-reported emotional and social QOL (P < 0.037). Boys reported better emotional QOL (P = 0.029), and PBTSs over 11 years old were reported to have better emotion and school-related QOL. Finally, being non-White and having low income predicted poor self-reported global and emotional QOL (P = 0.041).

Conclusions: Receiving CIT, having poor behavioral regulation, being a female, under 11 years old and coming from low-income, non-White families place PBTSs at risk for poor QOL.