Assessment of symptom burden and quality of life in patients with primary brain tumors receiving palliative care in a tertiary cancer care centre

Abstract Background Primary brain tumor patients present with a unique trajectory of illness, with an uncertain prognosis, a rapid decline in physical functioning and a significant worsening of quality of life. Methods The EORTC QLQ C30 & EORTC BN 20 questionnaires were used to assess quality of life and symptom burden in patients with primary brain tumors. The scores were analysed using SPSS statistical software. Results One hundred patients—61 males and 39 females—with radiological or histo-pathological diagnoses of primary brain tumors were included. Seizures (38%) were the most common presenting symptom (38%), followed by headache (18%), loss of consciousness (13%), focal neurological deficit (9%) and blurring of vision (8%). The mean quality of life at baseline was 78.29, with a standard deviation of 9.67 on a scale of 0 to 100, and the brain tumor-specific symptom burden score was 46.9, with a standard deviation of 17.95 on a scale of 0 to 100. There was a significant difference in the global health status score between the first visit and third visit, i.e., at three months (p value = 0.03). Conclusion Primary brain tumors are often aggressive and deemed incurable. Unaddressed symptoms such as fatigue and insomnia, future uncertainties and decreased social functioning are widely prevalent in such patients. The integration of palliative care in the treatment course is important to ensure good quality of life in such patients.