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Long-term Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumors: Impact on General Health and Quality of Life

  • Neuro-Oncology (L. E. Abrey, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

We review and summarize the key issues affecting general health and quality of life (QOL) of pediatric long-term survivors of brain tumors.

Recent Findings

Long-term survivors of brain tumors are at risk of considerable late morbidity and mortality. Lengthening survival in brain tumors has highlighted the deep impact of tumor and its treatment on the physical, psychological, functional, and social health and QOL of these survivors. Evolution in tumor therapy including surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic therapies, etc., has the potential to mitigate this impact to some extent.

Summary

Sensitization of health staff, policy makers, and the primary designers of clinical trials towards integration of QOL end points while measuring survival in brain tumor patients is the need of the hour. New developments in tumor therapeutics must not only provide quantitative gain but also improve the quality of survival in these long-term survivors. While majority of the issues presented pertain to survivorship in pediatric brain tumor population, similar challenges are likely to exist in young adults surviving brain tumors as well.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuro Oncology Group, Tata Memorial Centre, Tata Memorial Hospital, Dr Ernest Borges Road, Parel, Mumbai, 400 012, India

    Priyamvada Gupta & Rakesh Jalali

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  1. Priyamvada Gupta
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  2. Rakesh Jalali
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Correspondence to Rakesh Jalali.

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Priyamvada Gupta and Rakesh Jalali each declare no potential conflicts of interest.

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All reported studies/experiments with human or animal subjects performed by the authors have been previously published and complied with all applicable ethical standards (including the Helsinki Declaration and its amendments, institutional/national research committee standards, and international/national/institutional guidelines).

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Gupta, P., Jalali, R. Long-term Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumors: Impact on General Health and Quality of Life. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 17, 99 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-017-0808-0

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