Health-related quality of life in children with newly diagnosed cancer: a one year follow-up study
Author Information
Author(s): Landolt Markus A, Vollrath Margarete, Niggli Felix K, Gnehm Hanspeter E, Sennhauser Felix H
Primary Institution: University Children's Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
Hypothesis
Children and adolescents with cancer would show a reduced HRQOL during the most acute phase of treatment with improvement over the first year of treatment.
Conclusion
This study found that while health-related quality of life significantly improved over the year, several domains remained compromised, particularly among different diagnostic groups.
Supporting Evidence
- Children reported more physical complaints and reduced motor functioning 6 weeks after diagnosis.
- HRQOL significantly improved over the year, but some domains remained compromised.
- Children with leukemia were most affected at 6 weeks, while those with brain tumors reported more physical symptoms at 1 year.
Takeaway
Kids with cancer feel worse when they first get sick, but they start to feel better after a year, even though some still have problems.
Methodology
The study assessed 52 children using the TNO-AZL Questionnaire for Children's Health-Related Quality of Life at 6 weeks and 1 year after diagnosis.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the use of proxy reports for assessing HRQOL.
Limitations
The sample size was small, and the response rate was only 63%, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of participants was 10.9 years, with 38.5% female and 61.5% male.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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