ORIGINAL ARTICLE Prospective assessment of health-related quality of life in patients with low-grade glioma A single-center experience Cagdas Yavas & Faruk Zorlu & Gokhan Ozyigit & Murat Gurkaynak & Guler Yavas & Deniz Yuce & Mustafa Cengiz & Ferah Yildiz & Fadil Akyol Received: 23 May 2011 /Accepted: 26 September 2011 /Published online: 8 October 2011 # Springer-Verlag 2011 Abstract Purpose The assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in cancer patients has become increasingly important during the past decades. The aim of this study was to evaluate the HRQoL in patients treated for low- grade glioma (LGG). Methods and Materials Forty-three adult patients with LGG were evaluated prospectively between September 2006 and December 2010. We assessed HRQoL at baseline (after surgery before radiotherapy), at the end of radiother- apy and during follow-up (every 3 months for the first 2 years and every 6 months between 2 and 5 years), using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire 30 (EORTC-C30), Brain Cancer Module-20 (BN-20), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Hospital Anxiety and Depres- sion Scale (HADS). Results We demonstrated changes in global score (p =0.004), and future uncertainty (p <0.001), communication deficit (p = 0.007), headache (p <0.001), drowsiness (p =0.002) and hair loss (p <0.001), and recall score (p =0.0029) during follow- up. All complaints of LGG patients showed improvement, except for the hair loss. Although the baseline cognitive function scores was not significantly different, the third-year cognitive function scores of patients who used antiepileptic drugs had lower when compared to patients who did not use (p <0.001). The baseline and follow-up anxiety and depres- sion scores did not differ significantly. Conclusion Our results suggested that there were im- provement in HRQoL in LGG patients during follow-up and antiepileptic drugs had negative effect on cognitive functions. Keywords Cognitive function . Health-related quality of life . Low-grade glioma . Radiotherapy Introduction Low-grade gliomas (LGG) are uncommon central nervous system tumors, which often present with epileptic seizures, cognitive deficits, increased intracranial pressure and/or other neurologic signs and symptoms such as motor and sensory deficits [1, 2]. The most common clinical symp- toms are seizure and cognitive deficits, occurring in up to 90% of patients [2–4]. Although the median survival time for LGG patients may extend to more than 10 years, they cannot be cured of their disease. Despite intensive treatment with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, tumor recur- rence inevitably occurs [5]. The options for treatment are with some risk, often causing further brain injury. There- fore, the gains and losses between the benefits in terms of extended survival and progression delay and the potential side effects on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) have to be optimally balanced. The aim of treatment in these patients is not only to improve survival by decreasing the incidence of tumor recurrence, but also to maintain HRQoL as much as possible [6]. C. Yavas (*) : F. Zorlu : G. Ozyigit : M. Gurkaynak : G. Yavas : M. Cengiz : F. Yildiz : F. Akyol Faculty of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey e-mail: drcagdasyavas@gmail.com D. Yuce Faculty of Medicine, Department of Preventive Oncology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey Support Care Cancer (2012) 20:1859–1868 DOI 10.1007/s00520-011-1288-4