Symptom-based interventions to promote quality survivorship

Area of Science:

• Neuro-oncology
• Symptom Management
• Survivorship Care

Background:

• Brain tumor survivorship extends beyond survival, emphasizing quality of life.
• Symptom burden significantly impacts daily functioning in brain tumor patients.
• Common symptoms include fatigue, cognitive deficits, distress, and sleep disturbances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of symptom management in brain tumor survivorship.
• To identify common symptoms experienced by brain tumor survivors.
• To underscore the need for evidence-based interventions and further research.

Main Methods:

• Review of current understanding of symptom management in brain tumor care.
• Identification of prevalent symptoms and their impact on quality of life.
• Assessment of the existing evidence base for symptom-based interventions.

Main Results:

• Brain tumors and their treatments cause significant symptoms affecting daily life.
• Existing evidence supporting many symptom management interventions is limited.
• Clinicians face challenges in providing evidence-based recommendations.

Conclusions:

• Quality survivorship care for brain tumor patients necessitates robust symptom management.
• Further research is essential to develop and validate effective symptom interventions.
• Novel approaches are needed to address the complex symptom profiles of survivors.