Health-related quality of life and its determinants in patients with malignant brain tumors: a prospective longitudinal study

Abstract Objective Evaluate the preoperative health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with malignant brain tumors (MBT) and explore changes in HRQoL and factors associated with it within 3 months after surgery. Methods Patients with MBT who underwent surgery were included in the study. Patients were evaluated using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BN20 scales, as well as the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale. Sociodemographic, tumor history, and surgical data were collected. Results A total of 140 patients (98 glioma cases and 42 brain metastasis cases) completed the preoperative assessment. Seven days after surgery, overall health status, physical function, role function, fatigue, pain, and lower extremity weakness deteriorated significantly (p < 0.05). However, most glioma patients’ functions returned to baseline levels one month later. Patients with brain metastases experienced a decline in physical, role, and social functions seven days after surgery. One month later, cognitive function, future uncertainty, and headaches improved. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that sociodemographic, tumor, and surgical factors significantly predicted various domains of HRQoL at different time points. Overall health condition exhibited a V-shaped trend after the operation. Conclusion Age, tumor location, surgical method and KPS score are important factors associated with HRQoL. Regular assessment of these factors may help formulate individualized interventions to optimize patients’ quality of life.