| Objectives | The objectives of this systematic review were to (a) identify supportive-care (psychosocial/behavioral, pharmacological, complementary, or alternative) interventions that have been evaluated via randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to improve patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among adults with brain tumors, (b) evaluate the quality of the intervention studies, and © evaluate if developed interventions have been efficacious at improving HRQoL, as compared with control conditions in RCTs. |
| Methods | This systematic review was conducted using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Four databases were searched for RCTs of supportive-care interventions for adults with brain tumors, primary or metastatic, that included a patient-reported HRQoL outcome. Quality of the included studies was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. |
| Results | Ten RCTs involving 640 patients with either a primary or metastatic brain tumor investigating supportive-care interventions with a HRQoL outcome were identified. In terms of quality, three of the studies received a “strong” rating, three received a “moderate” rating, and four of the studies received a “weak” rating. Only two of the interventions (ie, a home-based psychosocial intervention and individualized acupuncture with standard rehabilitation) demonstrated improvements in HRQoL over control conditions. |
| Conclusions | HRQoL is of the utmost importance when treating patients with brain tumors. Yet there is a notable paucity of research to inform clinical decisions and evidence-based practice. More high-quality studies of interventions aimed at improving HRQoL are needed. |