Self-reported physical functioning and physical fitness in glioma patients

Background
Knowledge about glioma patients’ physical functioning and physical fitness throughout the disease trajectory is limited. We analyzed self-reported functioning and fitness in a large sample of glioma patients preoperatively and after primary treatment.
Methods
We used the physical functioning subscale of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF36) and three questions about physical fitness from the Checklist of Individual Strength (CIS20). Scores were compared to age-, sex-, and education-matched population controls, preoperatively and after treatment. In patients with repeated assessments, changes over time were analyzed. Correlations between patient, disease, and treatment characteristics and functioning and fitness at both time points, and with change over time, were explored. Analyses were performed separately for World Health Organization grade II, III, and IV glioma.
Results
Grade III patients had significantly lower functioning than controls, both preoperatively and after treatment, and declined over time. No significant differences with controls were found for grade II and IV patients, or for fitness. Grade II patients reported better functioning than grade III and IV preoperatively and better than grade III after treatment. Lower Karnofsky Performance Status was generally related to lower functioning and fitness, while older age, female sex, and lower education appeared in subgroup analyses. Age, neurological disabilities and tumor histology were associated with changes over time.
Conclusions
Grade III glioma patients showed poorer functioning than population controls, which declined over time. Grade II patients reported better outcomes than the other subgroups, although individual variability was high. These findings highlight the need for personalized approaches addressing functioning and fitness in glioma.