ID #439 Childhood central nervous system tumours in a major ghanaian center clinical outcomes and quality of life
Ernestina Schandorf, Hafisatu Gbadamosi, Mary-Ann Dadzie, Lily Gloria Tagoe, Emmanuella Amoako, Catherine Segbefia, Lorna Renner, Ebenezer Badoe, Ibrahim Qaddoumi, Barry Pizer, Eric Bouffet, Patrick BankahAbstract
Purpose
Childhood brain tumour survival rates in developing countries remain low (20–30%) compared to approximately 80% in developed nations, underscoring major disparities in care. To determine the outcomes, and quality of life at 12-week follow-up in children aged 1-17 years diagnosed with Central Nervous System (CNS) tumours at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).
Methods
Hospital-based prospective, observational study using the PedsQL questionnaire at the initial presentation and 12 weeks follow-up. The study included children aged 1–17 years with newly diagnosed, radiologically confirmed CNS tumours, along with their caregivers, who attended the Pediatric Oncology and Neurosurgery Units at KBTH over 13-month period.
Results
The study included 45 children (median age 7 years), with 56% male. Infratentorial tumours were most common (45%), and low-grade gliomas were the predominant histology. Nineteen children (42%) received definitive surgical treatment, with only four children (9%) receiving gross total resection (GTR) with median time to GTR of 28.5 days (range 27.5-37 days). Twelve-week survival was 68.9%. There was a strong correlation between parent-proxy and child self-reported total PedsQL scores (r = 0.890; P < 0.001) (95%CI 3.10 to 9.93) at presentation. Baseline PedsQL scores were significantly lower in children who died within 12 weeks (median 33.8) versus survivors (median 49.0; p = 0.0011). At follow-up, children’s self-reports of emotional well-being were lower than caregivers’ assessments.
Conclusion
The high mortality rate at 12 weeks is a significant concern and needs to be addressed. In this study, low QoL at presentation was associated with early mortality. Quality of life improved significantly at 12 weeks, though caregivers often underestimated their children’s emotional difficulties.
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