Self-perception and quality of life in adolescents during treatment for a primary malignant bone tumour

Adolescents experience physical and psychosocial changes as part of their normal development. It can be hypothesized that they have lower scores on Quality of Life (QoL) and self-perception when additional changes occur due to cancer treatment. The purpose of our study was to assess self-perception and QoL of adolescents during or up to three months after adjuvant treatment for a primary malignant bone tumour.

Ten adolescent patients (median age of 15 years) were included. Every patient was matched with two healthy peers. Participants completed the dutch version of the Self Perception Profile of Adolescents (SPPA) to measure self-perception and the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire for QoL. For both instruments, normative data were available.

Adolescents with a bone tumour had consistently lower scores on QoL as compared to healthy peers. Significantly on domains: physical well-being (P < 0.002), autonomy (P = 0.02), social support (P = 0.04) and school environment (P = 0.02). Scores on self-perception in this group were similar in both the study and control group.

Adolescents with a primary malignant bone tumour during or up to three months after adjuvant treatment had lower scores on QoL (KIDSCREEN-52), significantly on domains of physical well-being and social functioning. Unlike most other quality of life instruments, the KIDSCREEN-52 contains different areas of social functioning and has shown to be a useful instrument in our patient group. Scores on self-perception in this group were similar in both study and control group.