Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

The relationship between function, quality of life and coping in patients with low-grade gliomas

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Supportive Care in Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

The principal aim of the study was to describe function, quality of life and coping with illness-related problems in patients with low-grade gliomas (LGG), to evaluate the need of support. A second aim was to investigate how function, quality of life and coping were related.

Materials and methods

Thirty-nine patients with a diagnosis of LGG answered the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30) and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ). The patients’ level of function was assessed in accordance with the WHO performance status scale.

Results and discussion

Nearly all patients were capable of self-care, but less than half were able to carry out normal activities without restriction. Problems with fatigue, sleep disturbances and pain were most frequent. Most difficulties were reported in the domains, Role, Cognitive and Emotional functioning. Seventeen patients (45%) had scores indicating low overall quality of life. Ratings of overall quality of life and fatigue had the strongest relationship. The trend in the results suggested that mental problems have a stronger impact on quality of life than physical ones. Emotion-focused coping dominated. There was a significant relationship between coping by escape-avoidance and lower level of emotional functioning.

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that a multidisciplinary team is needed for assessment and treatment of the different problems in patients with LGG. Furthermore, special attention should be paid to patients who use coping by escape-avoidance, as this is associated with emotional distress.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hickey JV (2003) Brain Tumours. In: Hickey JV (ed) The clinical practice of neurological and neurosurgical nursing, 5th ed. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, pp 483–508

    Google Scholar 

  2. Pignatti F, van den Bent M, Curran D, Debruyne C, Sylvester R, Therasse P, Afra D, Cornu P, Bolla M, Vecht C, Karim A (2002) Prognostic factors for survival in adult patients with low-grade glioma. J Clin Oncol 20(8):2076–2084

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Taphoorn MJB, Heimans JJ, Snoek FJ, Lindeboom J, Oosterinkk B, Wolbers JG, Karim ABMF (1992) Assessment of quality of life in patients treated for low-grade glioma: a preliminary report. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 55:372–376

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Taphoorn, MJB, Klein Schiphorst A, Snoek FJ, Lindeboom J. Wolbers JG, Karim ABMF, Huijgens PC, Heimans JJ (1994) Cognitive functions and quality of life in patients with low-grade gliomas: the impact of radiotherapy. Ann Neurol 36:48–54

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ek L, Smits A, Påhlson A, Almkvist O (2005) Analysis of cognitive dysfunction in patients with low-grade glioma. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 12(2):165–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Påhlson A, Ek L, Ahlström G, Smits A (2003) Pitfalls in the assessment of disability in individuals with low-grade gliomas. J Neuro-Ophthalmol 65:149–158

    Google Scholar 

  7. Reijneveld JC, Sitskoorn MM, Klein M, Nuyen J, Taphoorn MJB (2001) Cognitive status and quality of life in patients with suspected versus proven low-grade gliomas. Neurology 56(5):618–623

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gilbert M, Armstrong T, Meyers C (2000) Issues in assessing and interpreting quality of life in patients with malignant glioma. Semin Oncol 27(3):20–26 (suppl 6)

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lazarus RS, Folkman S (1984) Stress, appraisal and coping. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  10. Folkman S, Lazarus RS, Gruen RJ, Delongis A (1986) Appraisal, coping, health status and psychological symptoms. J Pers Soc Psychol 50(3):571–579

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Lazarus RS (1993) Coping theory and research: past, present and future. Psychosom Med 55:234–247

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Strang S, Strang P, Ternestedt BM (2001) Existential support in brain tumour patients and their spouses. Support Care Cancer 9:625–633

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Taillibert S, Laigle-Donadey F, Sanson M (2004) Palliative care in patients with primary brain tumours. Curr Opin Oncol 16:587–592

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Carlsson M, Strang P (1998) Educational support programme for gynaecological cancer patients and their families. Acta Oncol 37:269–275

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Helgesson O, Bengtsson C, Lapidus L, Merck C, Sparen P (1994) Malignant disease observed in a cohort of women: a validation of Swedish Cancer Registry data. Scand J Soc Med 22:46–49

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Statistics Sweden (2000) Statistical yearbook of Sweden 2001, vol 87. Statistics Sweden

  17. Kleihues P, Louis DN, Scheithauer BW, Rorke LB, Reifenberger G, Burger PC, Cavenee WK (2002) The WHO classification of tumours of the nervous system. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 61:215–255

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. World Health Organization (1979) Handbook for reporting results of cancer treatment. World health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  19. Aaronson N, Ahmedzai S, Bergman B, Bullinger M, Cull A, Duez N, Filiberti A, Flechtner H, Fleishman S, de Haes J, Kaasa S, Klee M, Osoba D, Razavi D, Rofe P, Schraub S, Sneeuw K, Sullivan M, Takeda F (1993) The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30: a quality-of-life instrument for the use in international clinical trials in oncology. J Natl Cancer Inst 85(5):365–376

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Osoba D, Aaronson NK, Muller M, Sneeuw K, Hsu MA, Yung WKA, Brada M, Newlands E (1997) Effect of neurological dysfunction on health-related quality of life in patients with high-grade glioma. J Neuro-Oncol 34:263–278

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Streiner DL, Norman GR (1995) Health measurement scales, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  22. Folkman S, Lazarus R (1988) Ways of coping questionnaire: research edition. Consulting Psychologists, Palo Alto, CA

    Google Scholar 

  23. Ahlström G, Wenneberg S (2002) Coping with illness-related problems in persons with progressive muscular diseases: the Swedish version of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. Scand J Caring Sci 16:368–375

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Lundqvist LO, Ahlström G (2006) Psychometric evaluation of the ways of coping questionnaire as applied to clinical and non-clinical groups. J Psychosom Res 60:485–493

    Google Scholar 

  25. Altman DG (1996) Practical statistics for medical research. Chapman & Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  26. Klein M, Engelberts NH, van der Ploeg HM, Kasteleijn-Nolst Trenite DG, Aaronson NK, Taphoorn MJ, Baaijen H, Vandertop WP, Muller M, Postma TJ, Heimans JJ (2003) Epilepsy in low-grade gliomas: the impact on cognitive function and quality of life. Ann Neurol 54(4):514–520

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Lovely MP, Miaskowski C, Dodd M (1999) Relationship between fatigue and quality of life in patients with glioblastoma multiformae. Oncol Nurs Forum 26(5):921–925

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Davies E, Hall S, Clarke C (2003) Two year survival after malignant cerebral glioma: patient and relative reports of handicap, psychiatric symptoms and rehabilitation. Disabil Rehabil 25(6):259–266

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Ahlström G, Sjödén PO (1996) Coping with illness-related problems and quality of life in adult individuals with muscular dystrophy. J Psychosom Res 41(4):365-376

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Livneh H (2000) Psychosocial adaptation to cancer: the role of coping strategies. J Rehabil 66(2):40–49

    Google Scholar 

  31. Parker J, Endler N, Bagby R (1993) If it changes, it might be unstable: examining the factor structure of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. Psychol Assess 5:361–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Nichols K (2003) Psychological care for ill and injured people: a clinical guide. Open University Press, USA

    Google Scholar 

  33. Thoits PA (1986) Social support as coping assistance. J Consult Clin Psychol 54:416–423

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. House JS, Kahn RL (1985) Measures and concepts of social support. In: Cohen S, Syme SL (eds) Social support and health. Academic, Orlando, FL, pp 83–108

    Google Scholar 

  35. Edvardsson T, Ahlström G (2005) Illness-related problems and coping among persons with low-grade glioma. Psycho-Oncol 14(9):728–737

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Welch-McCaffrey D, Hoffman B, Leigh SA, Loescher LJ, Meyskens FL Jr. (1989) Surviving adult cancers. Part 2: Psychosocial implications. Ann Intern Med 111(6):517–524

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are very grateful to Anneli Påhlson, M.D., for work with selection of patients, scrutinizing of medical records regarding diagnosis and examination of the patients for this study. This research was supported by grants from the Örebro County Council Research Committee (Grant number 2000/0227) and the Department of Health Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Margareta Gustafsson.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gustafsson, M., Edvardsson, T. & Ahlström, G. The relationship between function, quality of life and coping in patients with low-grade gliomas. Support Care Cancer 14, 1205–1212 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-006-0080-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-006-0080-3

Keywords

Navigation