HOUT-12. CHARACTERIZATION OF SYMPTOM BURDEN IN MINORITY PATIENTS WITH CNS TUMORS: A REPORT FROM THE NEURO-ONCOLOGY BRANCH (NOB) NATURAL HISTORY STUDY (NHS)

Primary CNS tumor patients are highly symptomatic, with 40% of brain tumor patients reporting 3 moderate-severe symptoms. The five most commonly reported are fatigue, drowsiness, difficulty remembering, disturbed sleep in brain and in spine patients, pain, numbness, leg weakness, and autonomic dysfunction (bowel and sexual dysfunction). Twenty-five percent reported interference with activity and mood. These reports are limited to primarily white patients, with limited studies exploring in more diverse samples. Fifty patients self-identified as non-white are included in this report of symptom burden (MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Brain and Spine Tumor), depression and anxiety (PROMIS measures). Descriptive statistics, and standardized classification of severe symptoms and mood are used to describe the sample characteristics Chi-square and Fishers exact test were used to identify associations. Significance level was set at p< 0.05. The majority of patients were male(62%), Black/African American(38%). Median age 40(range 14–69), 44% had a gross total resection at diagnosis. Glioblastoma was the most common diagnosis(40%) with 1/3 having a poor(KPS 80) and a recurrence, and 56% having completed treatment. All spine and 34% of brain tumor patients had at least three symptoms rated as moderate-severe. The top five among brain tumor patients were weakness in arms/legs, fatigue, disturbed sleep, difficulty remembering, and feeling irritable and 57% reported moderate-severe activity related interference from symptoms. Fourteen percent of patients reported having moderate-severe depression and anxiety symptoms at study entry. Diagnosis other than glioblastoma was associated with depression symptoms (X2(1)= 5.4, p< 0.04), but no associations between clinical and demographic factors were found with interference, depression, or anxiety. Minority populations are highly symptomatic, but differences in symptoms reported as most severe were found when compared to historical data which is a restricted patient demographic. Future studies exploring symptom prevalence, underlying risk and treatment in diverse populations are warranted.