Comprehensive health status and health-related quality of life of children at diagnosis of high-risk neuroblastoma: a multicentric pilot study

BACKGROUND: Neuroblastomas account for 8-10 % of all cancer diagnoses among children. Most patients present with advanced, high-risk disease and 90 % are less than five years old. The burden of morbidity and mortality is high and is quantifiable by measures of health-related quality of life (HRQL). Measuring quality of life in under five-year-old children is a particular challenge that has been met with the development of the Health Utilities Pre-School (HuPS) instrument. Quality of life studies in children with cancer are scarce in low- and middle-income countries and are usually conducted at a single center, thus limiting any conclusions drawn. This pilot study aimed to assess the health-related quality of life of children at the time of diagnosis of high-risk neuroblastomas. METHOD: This prospective cross-sectional multicentric study assessed the quality of life of children with high-risk neuroblastoma. The Health Utilities Pre-School instrument was applied to under five-year-olds, and the related Health Utilities Index Mark 3 instrument to over five-year olds. MAIN RESULTS: Eleven patients participated in this study. There was a high burden of morbidity at diagnosis, often equating to severe disability, indicative of states of health with scores worse than being dead in two under five-year-old children. CONCLUSION: The results of the current study will help to set research priorities for subsequent investigations and provide a basis to improve supportive care for children with high-risk neuroblastoma.