Co-morbidity and quality of life in childhood cancer survivors treated with proton beam therapy.

Related Articles

Co-morbidity and quality of life in childhood cancer survivors treated with proton beam therapy.

Pediatr Int. 2017 May 14;:

Authors: Fukushima H, Fukushima T, Suzuki R, Iwabuchi A, Hidaka K, Masumoto K, Muroi A, Yamamoto T, Mizumoto M, Sakurai H, Sumazaki R

Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The ratio of childhood cancer survival achieves over 80% recently. Various adverse events among childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) has been reported. Proton beams are able to avoid unnecessary irradiation to normal/vital organs. We conducted a quality of life (QOL) study for CCSs who were treated with proton beam therapy (PBT).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included those treated with PBT to the brain, head, or neck ≤15 years old at the University of Tsukuba Hospital from 1983 to 2011. Clinical information was collected from medical records. Questionnaires including the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales were sent to the families/patients.
RESULTS: Sixty patients were included. Median age at treatment was 6.2 years. Alive/dead/unknown were 32/24/4. Median follow-up period was 63.0 (48-340) months for living patients. Questionnaires were sent to 25 families/patients and 19 were returned. PedsQL was assessed for 17 patients. Eleven of 32 living patients carried at least one co-morbidity grade 3/4. Average QOL scores were above the Japanese schoolchildren and adolescents. No co-morbidity was correlated, but only longer time from treatment was correlated to a higher score of PedsQL (p=0.030).
CONCLUSION: CCSs who were treated with multimodal treatment using PBT had a higher QOL scores regardless of their co-morbidity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID: 28503890 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

from #AlexandrosSfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2pFGuP4
via IFTTT