To report scores of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) surveys and evaluate whether timing of administration influences scores in patients with high-grade glioma (HGG).

Patient reported outcome (PRO) tools are means of reporting HRQOL and alerting clinicians to deficiencies in a patient’s health status. HRQOL in HGG patients may be influenced by many factors. We tested the performance of validated generic (Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System, PROMIS) and disease-specific (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain, FACT-Br) instruments administered soon after diagnosis.

FACT-Br and PROMIS (Depression, Anxiety, Social Roles and Activities, Anger, Cognitive Function, Fatigue, and Global Health [GH]) were administered to adults with HGG after diagnosis at University of Rochester in an IRB-approved study. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between scores and time of survey administration adjusting for AED-status, seizures, KPS, and tumor treatment.

45 patients (44 grade IV, 1 grade III, median age = 61, range 28-90) completed at least one baseline survey. 42 completed PROMIS domains and 39 completed FACT-BR, a median of 26 days from diagnosis (range 2-90).  Functional impairment reported through PROMIS was similar to that reported in the general population (normalized mean T-score(SD)): Depression (50.8(7.2)), Anxiety (53.0(7.6)), Cognitive (45.9(10.7)), Anger (47.1(6.0)), Social Roles (48.2(8.8)), GH Physical (47.8(7.7)), GH Mental (48.7(8.8)). Adjusting for relevant covariates, there were significant negative linear associations between scores and timing of survey administration for PROMIS anxiety (Beta(SE) = -0.40(0.08)), PROMIS depression (Beta = -0.23(0.10)), and PROMIS anger (Beta = -0.43(0.10)).

Subjects recently diagnosed with HGG reported functional impairment similar to a reference population without cancer. Nonetheless, anxiety, depression, and anger were negatively associated with length of time from tumor diagnosis suggesting these patients may experience higher impairment in these domains that resolves over time.