Symptom distress and quality of life after stereotactic radiosurgery in patients with pituitary tumors: A questionnaire survey
Journal
PLoS ONE
Journal Volume
9
Journal Volume
9
Journal Issue
2
Journal Issue
2
Start Page
e88460
ISSN
1932-6203
Date Issued
2014-02-05
Author(s)
Abstract
Background: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a common treatment for recurrent or residual pituitary adenomas. The persistence of symptoms and treatment related complications may impair the patient's quality of life (QOL). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine symptom distress, QOL, and the relationship between them among patients with pituitary tumors who had undergone SRS. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design and purposive sampling. We enrolled patients diagnosed with pituitary tumors who had undergone SRS. Data were collected at the CyberKnife Center at a medical center in Northern Taiwan in 2012. A questionnaire survey was used for data collection. Our questionnaire consisted of 3 parts the Pituitary Tumor Symptom Distress Questionnaire, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument Short-Form (WHOQOL-BREF), and a demographic questionnaire. Results: Sixty patients were enrolled in the study. The most common symptoms reported by patients after SRS were memory loss, fatigue, blurred vision, headache, sleep problems, and altered libido. The highest and lowest scores for QOL were in the environmental and psychological domains, respectively. Age was positively correlated with general health and the psychological domains. Level of symptom distress was negatively correlated with overall QOL, general health, physical health, and the psychological and social relationships domains. The scores in the psychological and environmental domains were higher in males than in females. Patients with ?6 symptoms had better overall QOL, general health, physical health, and psychological and social relationships than those with >6 symptoms. Conclusion: Symptom distress can affect different aspects of patient QOL. Levels of symptom distress, number of symptoms, age, and gender were variables significantly correlated with patient QOL. These results may be utilized by healthcare personnel to design educational and targeted interventional programs for symptom management to improve patient QOL. ? 2014 Yang et al.
SDGs
Other Subjects
adult; aged; amnesia; article; blurred vision; distress syndrome; fatigue; female; headache; health status; health survey; human; hypophysis tumor; libido disorder; major clinical study; male; quality of life; questionnaire; sex difference; sleep disorder; social psychology; stereotactic radiosurgery; Taiwan; very elderly; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pituitary Gland; Pituitary Neoplasms; Quality of Life; Questionnaires; Radiosurgery; Stress, Psychological; Young Adult
Publisher
Public Library of Science
Type
journal article