The impact of vestibular schwannoma treatment on quality of Life

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Impact of treatment (conservative treatment, radiosurgery, and microsurgery) of vestibular schwannoma on patient quality of life

• IRAS ID

  294537

• Contact name

  Elliot Heward

• Sponsor organisation

  Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  Research Summary

  Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are benign tumours arising from the Schwann cells of the vestibulocochlear nerve. They account for 6-8% of all intracranial tumours and more than 80% of tumours emerging from the cerebellopontine angle. Symptoms vary from patient to patient, but the most common presentation is with ipsilateral hearing loss, tinnitus and/or unsteadiness.

  Management options for VS currently include conservative treatment with serial imaging, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and microsurgery.1 Although VS rarely cause patient mortality, clinical manifestations of the tumour as well as treatment can be associated with significant morbidity.2 It is therefore valuable to elucidate the differences in post-treatment outcomes for the three treatment options presently available.

  We have prospectively collected Quality of Life (QOL) and audiovestibular (AV) handicap data at presentation for all patients presenting with a VS. We do not, however, have comprehensive follow up data. This study aims to collect QOL and AV handicap data at least one year following treatment in a cohort of patients with sporadic vestibular schwannoma in order to measure compare QOL and AV handicap between treatment modalities.

  Research Summary

  This study aimed to evaluate changes in quality-of-life outcomes over time comparing each treatment option for managing vestibular schwannoma.

  Background:
  Management options for vestibular schwannoma include microsurgery, radiotherapy and watch, wait and rescan. We currently don’t understand the impact on patients’ quality of life comparing each treatment method.

  Methods:
  We used questionnaires before and after patient had undergone treatment for their vestibular schwannoma to determine the impact on their quality of life of either treatment.

  Key findings:
  All three treatment modalities appear to result in comparable quality of life outcomes. These findings will help doctors to better counsel and inform patients with vestibular schwannoma

• REC name

  East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1

• REC reference

  21/ES/0059

• Date of REC Opinion

  11 Jun 2021

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion