Frequency and burden of potentially treatable symptoms in glioma patients with stable disease
Jantine G. Röttgering,
Vera Belgers,
Mathilde C.M. Kouwenhoven,
Maaike Schuur,
Tjeerd J. Postma,
Claudia M. Nijboer,
Myra E. van Linde,
Philip C. de Witt Hamer,
Linda Douw,
Martin Klein
Affiliations
Jantine G. Röttgering
Cancer Center Amsterdam, Brain Tumor Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Medical Psychology, Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Corresponding author. Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Medical Psychology, Boelelaan 1117, 1081HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Vera Belgers
Cancer Center Amsterdam, Brain Tumor Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Neurology, Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Mathilde C.M. Kouwenhoven
Cancer Center Amsterdam, Brain Tumor Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Neurology, Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Maaike Schuur
Cancer Center Amsterdam, Brain Tumor Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Neurology, Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Tjeerd J. Postma
Cancer Center Amsterdam, Brain Tumor Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Neurology, Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Claudia M. Nijboer
Cancer Center Amsterdam, Brain Tumor Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Neurology, Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Myra E. van Linde
Cancer Center Amsterdam, Brain Tumor Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Oncology, Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Philip C. de Witt Hamer
Cancer Center Amsterdam, Brain Tumor Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Neurosurgery, Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Linda Douw
Cancer Center Amsterdam, Brain Tumor Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Anatomy and Neurosciences, Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Boston, MA, 02129, USA
Martin Klein
Cancer Center Amsterdam, Brain Tumor Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Medical Psychology, Boelelaan, 1117, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Background & aims: Glioma patients experience a multitude of symptoms that negatively affect their health-related quality of life. Symptoms vary greatly across disease phases, and the patients' stable phase might be particularly suitable for assessing and treating symptoms. Identifying symptoms and patients' needs is a first step toward improving patient care. In glioma patients with stable disease, we assessed the frequency and burden of patient-reported symptoms, examined how these symptoms co-occur, and also determined whether patients would consider treatment to ameliorate specific symptoms. Methods: In this retrospective study, patients rated the frequency and burden of seventeen symptoms on a seven-point Likert scale and stated whether they would consider treatment for these symptoms. Correlations between frequency, burden, and considering treatment were evaluated with Kendall’s Tau correlation coefficients. Based on partial correlations between symptom frequencies we visualized the symptoms as a network. Results: Fifty-two glioma patients with stable disease were included (31 WHO grade II/III, 21 WHO grade IV). The top five symptoms were fatigue, memory problems, reduced physical fitness, concentration problems, and drowsiness. Fatigue had the highest median frequency (4.5, interquartile range 2.5). Over half of the patients experienced three or more symptoms simultaneously and associations between all symptoms were depicted as a network. Overall, 35% of patients would consider treatment for at least one symptom. The wish to undergo symptom treatment correlated only moderately with symptom frequency and burden (range of correlations 0.24–0.57 and 0.28–0.61, respectively). Conclusion: Glioma patients with stable disease experience multiple symptoms with a consequently high symptom burden. Despite the high prevalence of symptoms, the inclination for symptom management interventions was relatively low. The most frequent and burdensome symptoms and the way they are interrelated could serve as a roadmap for future research on symptom management in these patients.
