Quality of Life in Paediatric Survivors of Medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma (MB) is among the most common malignant paediatric brain tumours usually arising in the cerebellum. The treatment is surgical resection followed by craniospinal radiation with or without chemotherapy. We assessed the current literature on survivors of MB and their quality of life (QoL). The QoL of MB survivors is significantly compromised in terms of decreased neurocognitive functions, Intelligence Quotient (IQ), and social functioning. These also lead to a compromised overall performance, school performance, lack of employment, social isolation, and caregiver burden. The survivors often self-reported better performances as compared to objective performance and that rated by the caregivers. The predictors of worse QoL include earlier age at diagnosis, hydrocephalus, shunt placement, altered mental status at diagnosis, incomplete/subtotal resection of the tumour, and metastatic disease.