Quality of Life and Mortality after Craniotomy for Brain Tumor Removal: A South Korean Nationwide Cohort Study

Abstract PurposeWe aimed to investigate the prevalence of quality-of-life deterioration and associated factors in patients who underwent craniotomies for brain tumor removal. Additionally, we examined whether deteriorating quality of life after surgery might affect mortality. MethodsAs a national population-based cohort study, data were extracted from the National Health Insurance Service database of South Korea. Adult patients (≥18 years old) who underwent craniotomy for excision of brain tumors after diagnosis of malignant brain tumor between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2017, were included in this study. ResultsA total of 4,852 patients were included in the analysis. Among them, 2,273 patients (46.9%) experienced a deterioration in quality of life after surgery. Specifically, 595 (12.3%) lost their jobs, 1,329 (27.4%) experienced decreased income, and 844 (17.4%) patients had newly acquired disabilities. In the multivariable Cox regression model, a lower quality of life was associated with a 1.41-fold higher 2-year all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.41, 95% confidence interval: 1.27–1.57; P<0.001). Specifically, newly acquired disability was associated with 1.80-fold higher 2-year all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.80, 95% confidence interval: 1.59–2.03; P<0.001), while loss of job (P=0.353) and decreased income (P=0.599) were not significantly associated.ConclusionsAt one-year follow-up, approximately half the patients who participated in this study experienced a deterioration in the quality-of-life measures of unemployment, decreased income, and newly acquired disability after craniotomy for excision of brain tumors. Newly acquired disability was associated with increased 2-year all-cause mortality.

Download Full-text

Augmented reality–assisted roadmaps during periventricular brain surgery

Neurosurgical FOCUS ◽

10.3171/2021.5.focus21220 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. E4

Author(s):

Florian Bernard ◽

Julien Haemmerli ◽

Gregory Zegarek ◽

Daniel Kiss-Bodolay ◽

Karl Schaller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Brain Tumor ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Augmented Reality ◽

Preoperative Planning ◽

Brain Surgery ◽

Anatomical Landmarks ◽

Tumor Removal ◽

Postoperative Quality

Visualizing major periventricular anatomical landmarks intraoperatively during brain tumor removal is a decisive measure toward preserving such structures and thus the patient's postoperative quality of life. The aim of this study was to describe potential standardized preoperative planning using standard landmarks and procedures and to demonstrate the feasibility of using augmented reality (AR) to assist in performing surgery according to these “roadmaps.” The authors have depicted stepwise AR surgical roadmaps applied to periventricular brain surgery with the aim of preserving major cognitive function. In addition to the technological aspects, this study highlights the importance of using emerging technologies as potential tools to integrate information and to identify and visualize landmarks to be used during tumor removal.

Download Full-text

Health-related quality of life in long-term survivors of colorectal cancer and its association with all-cause mortality: a German cohort study

BMC Cancer ◽

10.1186/s12885-018-5075-1 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Ilka Ratjen ◽

Clemens Schafmayer ◽

Janna Enderle ◽

Romina di Giuseppe ◽

Sabina Waniek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Long Term Survivors

Download Full-text

When Is Higher Neuroticism Protective Against Death? Findings From UK Biobank

Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/0956797617709813 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 28 (9) ◽

pp. 1345-1357 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Catharine R. Gale ◽

Iva Čukić ◽

G. David Batty ◽

Andrew M. McIntosh ◽

Alexander Weiss ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Confidence Interval ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Lower Mortality ◽

Uk Biobank ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Mortality Hazard ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Personality Facets ◽

External Causes ◽

Mortality Hazard Ratio

We examined the association between neuroticism and mortality in a sample of 321,456 people from UK Biobank and explored the influence of self-rated health on this relationship. After adjustment for age and sex, a 1- SD increment in neuroticism was associated with a 6% increase in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 1.06, 95% confidence interval = [1.03, 1.09]). After adjustment for other covariates, and, in particular, self-rated health, higher neuroticism was associated with an 8% reduction in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 0.92, 95% confidence interval = [0.89, 0.95]), as well as with reductions in mortality from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease, but not external causes. Further analyses revealed that higher neuroticism was associated with lower mortality only in those people with fair or poor self-rated health, and that higher scores on a facet of neuroticism related to worry and vulnerability were associated with lower mortality. Research into associations between personality facets and mortality may elucidate mechanisms underlying neuroticism’s covert protection against death.

Download Full-text