The impact of acoustic neuroma on long-term quality-of-life outcomes in the United Kingdom

Quality of Life for Patients with Sporadic Small Vestibular Schwannomas Following Middle Fossa Craniotomy

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate quality-of-life outcomes for patients with vestibular schwannomas (VS) undergoing a middle cranial fossa (MCF) approach.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective study from 2018 to 2023.

SETTING

Tertiary academic institution.

PATIENTS

Adults with sporadic VS.

INTERVENTIONS

MCF.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome measure was the change in preoperative and 1-year postoperative Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality-of-life (PANQOL) scores. Secondary outcome measures included hearing preservation and facial nerve function.

RESULTS

Of the 164 patients who underwent MCF for sporadic VS, 78 patients elected to voluntarily complete preoperative PANQOL assessments prior to surgery. Seventy-one (91%) of those 78 patients completed postoperative PANQOL surveys. Fifty (70%) of the respondents were female and the median age was 48 years (range, 27-71 years). Overall, at 1-year postsurgery, a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was obtained in the hearing (mean difference, 10.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.3-16.7) and anxiety (mean difference, 18.8; 95% CI, 11.7-25.9) domains. For patients with hearing preservation (n = 48, 68%), MCIDs were reached in the hearing (mean difference, 13.4; 95% CI, 6.3-20.6), anxiety (mean difference, 20.8; 95% CI, 11.8-29.9), energy (mean difference, 13.7; 95% CI, 3.6-23.8), pain (mean difference, 13.7; 95% CI, 3.6-23.8) domains, and overall PANQOL scores (mean difference, 12.7; 95% CI, 7.1-18.3). Postoperatively, 64 (90%) patients maintained a House-Brackmann I.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the largest study examining disease-specific QOL for VS patients undergoing MCF. Based on our institution's experience, MCF approach for small VS is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in QOL, hearing preservation, and excellent facial nerve outcomes.

Exploring the influence of appearance evaluation apprehension: How fear of negative evaluation affects quality of life in people with Vestibular Schwannoma

People diagnosed with Vestibular Schwannoma (VS) can experience several symptoms both pre and post-treatment. These, alongside the diagnosis experience, can significantly impact their daily life. The present research is a continuation of a larger study aiming to explore the impacts of symptomology and body image/fear of negative evaluation (FNAE) on the quality of life (QOL) for people with VS. The research design was exploratory and involved a nationwide survey with a total of 52 participants. FNAE was assessed using a measurement of the same name, and QOL was assessed using the Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality of Life scale (PANQOL). Comparing management groups revealed a significant difference in FNAE with higher scores for surgery compared to radiation treatment. Regression analyses revealed that FNAE significantly accounted for 10.9% of the variance in QOL. However, no symptom was significantly predictive of FNAE. In conclusion, VS is associated with several symptoms that can persist post-treatment. Body satisfaction contributes to QOL and may differ between management types. However, due to inconclusive findings on the predictability of symptoms on FNAE, other moderator factors could influence these direct relationships. Future studies should evaluate the variables that could mitigate or protect from the impacts of FNAE for this population.

Quality of life and broader experiences of those with acoustic neuroma: a mixed methods approach

Background Acoustic neuromas (ANs) are consistently associated with decreased quality of life (QOL) related to the physical and psychosocial impacts of symptoms experienced from the tumour and its treatment. This study explored patient-reported experiences of ANs in New Zealand, with a focus on the impact on QOL and the provision of information, support and services. Methods A mixed methods approach was taken, conducting an online community survey that included the Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality of Life Scale (N  = 52). Those who indicated interest were offered semi-structured interviews after the survey (N  = 17), which were analysed using content analysis. Results A negative impact on QOL was found, highlighting five key themes in the experiences of people: (1) ongoing physical, social and psychological impacts; (2) information and support from the medical system; (3) autonomy and decision-making; (4) the importance of peer support; and (5) remaining positive - life goes on. Conclusions Our findings indicate areas for improvement that may benefit people's healthcare experience and QOL. Both quantitative and qualitative results identified gaps associated with person-centred care and the need for information, education, emotional support and access to services. Recommendations include a need for more information (verbal and written) during all stages of diagnosis and treatment, shared decision-making and increased access to allied health, including psychological services and support groups.

The effect of symptomatology and mental wellbeing on quality of life in people with acoustic neuroma

INTRODUCTION

Acoustic neuroma (AN) research largely employs a medical framework to understand health outcomes. An alternative is to examine quality of life (QOL) outcomes. This study explored whether mental well-being (i.e., anxiety and depression) were predictive of QOL in those with AN over and above symptomatology.

METHODS

A nationwide online survey was distributed to 24 community organisations. The inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of AN irrespective of the treatment approach. There were 52 respondents. Mental well-being was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and quality of life was assessed using Penn Acoustic Neuroma QOL scale (PANQOL).

RESULTS

The most frequently reported symptoms reported were poor balance, tinnitus, hearing loss, and headache. Preliminary analyses suggested that headaches, tinnitus and mental well-being were significantly correlated with QOL. Hierarchical regression revealed that these two symptoms and mental well-being accounted for 18.7% and 51.1% of the variance in QOL, respectively. In addition, there was a significant difference in depression scores between management types, with the surgery group having a significantly higher depression score than the radiation group.

CONCLUSION

Symptoms and mood contribute to QOL for those diagnosed with AN. This can be understood through the common-sense model and fear of cancer recurrence. Screening for psychological difficulties should be provided from the point of diagnosis to post-treatment to allow for targeted management plans to mitigate the effects of these on QOL.

Long-Term Quality of Life of Vestibular Schwannoma Patients: A Longitudinal Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Vestibular schwannoma management aims to maintain optimal quality of life (QoL) while preventing severe sequelae of the tumor or its treatment. This study assessed long-term QoL of patients with vestibular schwannoma in relation to treatment modality and decisional regret.

STUDY DESIGN

A longitudinal study, in which clinical and QoL data were used that were cross-sectionally acquired in 2014 and again in 2020 from the same patient group.

SETTING

A tertiary expert center for vestibular schwannoma care in the Netherlands.

METHODS

QoL was measured by the Penn Acoustic Quality of Life (PANQOL) scale. Changes in time were assed using a linear mixed model. In addition, the Decision Regret Scale was analyzed.

RESULTS

Of 867 patients, 536 responded (62%), with a median follow-up of 11 years. All PANQOL subdomain scores remained stable over time and did not exceed minimal clinically important difference (MCID) levels. Time since treatment did not affect QoL. Patients had comparable average QoL scores and proportions of patients with changing QoL scores (ie, exceeding the MCID) over time, irrespective of the received initial treatment. Female patients and those who required salvage therapy (either by radiotherapy or surgery) reported a lower QoL. The latter patient group reported the highest decisional regret.

CONCLUSION

On average, the long-term QoL of patients with vestibular schwannoma is comparable for patients under active surveillance and those who have received active treatment, and it remains stable over time. This suggests that, on average, preservation of QoL of patients with vestibular schwannoma is feasible when adequately managed.

Quality of life reporting in the management of posterior fossa tumours: A systematic review

Introduction

Survival amongst posterior fossa tumour (PFT) patients is improving. Clinical endpoints such as overall survival fail to depict QoL. There is yet to be a review of current QoL instruments used for adult PFTs. Aim of this review is to outline the QoL reporting in the management of PFTs and measure participation level.

Methods

This systematic review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. A search strategy to identify adult patients with PFTs who took part in QoL metrics was conducted. Observational and experimental studies published from 1990 to date were included. Studies with a sample size less than 10 and performance measures such as Karnofsky Performance Status were not considered.

Results

A total of 116 studies were included in the final analysis. Vestibular schwannomas were the most common tumour pathology (n = 23,886, 92.6%) followed by pilocytic astrocytomas (n = 657, 2.5%) and meningiomas (n = 437, 1.7%) Twenty-five different QoL measures were used in the study pool. SF-36 was the most common (n = 55, 17 47.4%) QoL metric in the whole study pool, followed by the Penn Acoustic Neuroma QoL scale (n = 24, 20.7%) and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (n = 16, 13.8%). Seventy-two studies reported less-than 100% participation in QoL evaluation. The commonest reason for non-participation was a lack of response (n = 1,718, 60.8%), incomplete questionnaires (n = 268, 9.4%) and cognitive dysfunction (n = 258, 9.1%).

Conclusion

Informed clinical decision-making in PFT patients requires the development of specific QoL outcomes. Core outcome sets, and minimal clinically important differences (MCID) are essential for these metrics to show clinically significant improvements in patient QoL.

Quality of life in patients of unilateral vestibular schwannoma treated with microsurgery: A South-Asian tertiary care Hospital experience

Majority of the published literature on the impact of microsurgery over quality-of-life (QOL) in vestibular schwannoma (VS) patients is retrospective in nature, with variable results, and there has been very little contribution from South-Asia. The authors designed this study to investigate the role of microsurgery in QOL alterations in VS patients, and to compare obtained QOL scores with that of control population. Between February 2017 and March 2018, a prospective/retrospective study was done at our institute. Prospective and retrospective cohorts included, 30 and 34 consecutive patients, respectively, of unilateral VS undergoing microsurgery. QOL assessment was done using Short Form-36 (SF-36), and the Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality-Of-Life (PANQOL) questionnaires. Prospective cohort underwent QOL assessment at 3 junctures - pre-surgery, 3-months & 1-year post-surgery; while retrospective cohort was assessed only once, at 1-year post-surgery. Age- & sex- matched normal population and diabetic patients were used as controls. In the prospective cohort, patients showed drop in all PANQOL domain/ SF-36 dimension scores at 3-month post-surgery, exception being vitality and general health in SF-36; showed improvement at 1-year follow-up, with majority either levelling or improving their respective pre-surgery scores. Gross total resection, tumors ≤ 3 cm, and age ≤ 45 years had better PANQOL scores at 1-year post-surgery across all the domains. Patients in both the cohorts showed worse QOL compared to normal population, but the gap got narrower at 1-year post-surgery. Our study adds a South-Asian perspective to the pool of prospective knowledge available on QOL following microsurgery in VS patients.

Disease-Specific Quality of Life in Vestibular Schwannoma: A National Cross-sectional Study Comparing Microsurgery, Radiosurgery, and Observation

OBJECTIVE

To examine the impact of treatment on disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among patients with sporadic vestibular schwannoma (VS).

STUDY DESIGN

National cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Tertiary referral center and the Acoustic Neuroma Association.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Adult patients with VS who completed the Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality of Life (PANQOL) survey. Patients were classified by treatment at the most recent survey as microsurgery, radiosurgery, observation, or recently diagnosed (RD). PANQOL scores were compared among VS treatment groups and with nontumor controls using analysis of covariance.

RESULTS

A total of 1362 respondents with VS were analyzed. Total PANQOL scores differed significantly by treatment (P = .024) with adjusted means of 60, 63, 65, and 62 for the microsurgery, radiosurgery, observation, and RD groups, respectively. Subdomain scores for facial function, balance, hearing loss, and pain differed significantly (P < .05) by treatment. Comparisons that surpassed thresholds for clinical significance included microsurgery compared to radiosurgery and observation for facial function, microsurgery compared to observation and RD for hearing loss, and microsurgery compared to radiosurgery and observation for pain. Subdomain scores for anxiety, facial function, balance, hearing loss, energy, and pain and total PANQOL scores for nontumor controls were significantly higher (ie, more favorable) compared to the VS groups (P < .05). General health scores did not differ significantly between the nontumor controls and the VS groups (P = .19).

CONCLUSION

Differences in HRQOL among treatment modalities are small and variably exceed the minimal clinically important difference. The impact of a VS diagnosis on HRQOL supersedes that of the treatment type.